Motivation!

Posted:
in AppleOutsider edited January 2014
I need some. I'm sitting here, it's almost nine o'clock and I have school tomorrow. I have not had school for the past five days because of the blizzard that came through here (17 inches of snow!). Anyway, I have yet to do any of my homework, and I'm not really inclined to do so. I'm looking for some advice. How do you motivate yourself to do things that you don't want to?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    shawnjshawnj Posts: 6,656member
    Stuff like this you have to learn. It's a part of growing up that doesn't come natural for most people. What I do is the following:
    • Eliminate distractions.



      I rarely sign on iChat before 8:30 pm because I know I'll waste time on it.



    • Separate work and play areas.



      For me that means I do my work in the law library and do everything not related to my work in my apartment. When I'm in the library, I feel like I'm there to work.



    • Approach your work like a job



      Understand that you have to work a certain number of hours every single day. Working smartly is more important than just putting in the hours, but you're not used to putting in those hours yet. You'll catch on.



    • Schedule your time



      I have a fairly regular schedule of daily work to do, so I use iCal recurring events to schedule my time between classes, class preparation, long term projects, and review time. The physical act of just writing down what you need to do does a good job of getting you in the mindset to do work. You can check off things as you go along.

    Believe me. Nothing feels better than coming home after long day of work feeling like you struggled with your material and accomplished something. You just have to learn the study skills.
  • Reply 2 of 11
    School on Presidents Day? Ouch.
  • Reply 3 of 11
    Think "the great white north'...
  • Reply 4 of 11
    midwintermidwinter Posts: 10,060member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by maimezvous View Post


    How do you motivate yourself to do things that you don't want to?



    Suck it up. One foot in front of the other.
  • Reply 5 of 11
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by maimezvous View Post


    How do you motivate yourself to do things that you don't want to?



    I can motivate myself extremely easily when I feel there are people depending on me.
  • Reply 6 of 11
    justinjustin Posts: 403member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by maimezvous View Post


    I need some. I'm sitting here, it's almost nine o'clock and I have school tomorrow. I have not had school for the past five days because of the blizzard that came through here (17 inches of snow!). Anyway, I have yet to do any of my homework, and I'm not really inclined to do so. I'm looking for some advice. How do you motivate yourself to do things that you don't want to?





    Priorities first! With 17" of snow, how can you not go out and build a snowman? Throw a few snowballs and trudge around in the snow (moments like this won't last )



    Afterwards, you need a low-stimulus environment, to practice the motivation which is better termed 'discipline'. Ensure your room has a closed door, since draughts are uncomfortable and only induce the excitement of something passing, even if it is just wind. Get rid of the specular light sources; fluorescent tubes will tire your eyes out. No matter what the energy efficient gurus say, the frequency of flickering is detrimental to concentration. You need a decent 100W lamp halogen (daylight corrected to 5,000 Kelvin) bulb by your desk side, as well as an overhead lamp (tungsten/warm orange is fine). This is your desk set-up. No distractions, just a clean empty desk with your books, pens and pencils.



    Now remove your clothes. The wet ones I mean. You can keep the rest on whilst you're studying, unless it's the Kamasutra you're practicing. The room should be warm enough without the need to down an anorak and fluffy slippers. Personally I prefer studying without slippers or shoes, as my toes feel the ground, I am more aware of how I'm sitting. That means sitting properly on a chair. Do you know how to sit properly on a chair? Us modern people have lost connection with what it means to sit. The kings of old could sit enthroned, properly relaxed, legs uncrossed (not so good for male fertility) and feet planted before oneself and arms on the arm rests rather than supporting one's head and neck like a craned anchor. This is the fundamental position for motivation. There may be others,but this is the one, by which routine, the sister to motivation, becomes more adept and precise and being called forth without finding itself flat on its face as soon as you think of that dreaded word: "homework".



    Without the preparation of your body for the motivation-task; without the structure to impose a routine for the motivation, there can be.... alas...no motivation! Where does motivation then flee? To the mountains of snow, cast adrift in southern storms, or in thoughtless fantasy - hours beguiled before the wind-swept snow. No - this is not the way to go. Motivation demands courage! Be strong.



    You can do it! But first, you have to take off your clothes.



    Now that you're comfortable, recall the principles that you have just learnt; preparation of your room - it's light and its closure of stimulus so that it remains quiet for concentrating on the slightest sliver of interest you might hold in your dreaded homework; preparation of your body for the chair, and preparation of backside for the chair, ensure you are sitting enthroned in your chair - all of this - the preparation for motivation - now gives you the key to sit at your desk and do your homework for 20 minutes. Timer on, if necessary, apply your self for those 20 minutes on your homework. No more, no less. Just 20 minutes of your life - the snow can wait; as can coffee; doughnuts and bagels and other distractions. No computer, no monitor, no flickering LCD screens; no bleeps, no mobile phones; just pure homework. 20 minutes of your life.



    Time up? Go out and do what you were doing before. Close the door and ask yourself whether you really enjoyed that 20 minutes or not. You know you want to do more. Ultimately, because doing homework....is sexy. It stimulates your brain; it moves the mind to reason beyond its own reason, and touches on those synapses hitherto untouched before. Such mental intercourse is the ecstasy, only one of a motivated mind can ever know, and the rapture and joy.....of homework....demands more.



  • Reply 7 of 11
    shawnjshawnj Posts: 6,656member
    Good job, boys!



    Maimezvous's been so motivated to study that he hasn't had time to reply to his own thread.
  • Reply 8 of 11
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by maimezvous View Post


    I need some. I'm sitting here, it's almost nine o'clock and I have school tomorrow. I have not had school for the past five days because of the blizzard that came through here (17 inches of snow!). Anyway, I have yet to do any of my homework, and I'm not really inclined to do so. I'm looking for some advice. How do you motivate yourself to do things that you don't want to?



    Dude your postcount is 666, you cannot be saved
  • Reply 9 of 11
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hardeeharhar View Post


    Think "the great white north'...



  • Reply 10 of 11
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by maimezvous View Post


    I need some. I'm sitting here, it's almost nine o'clock and I have school tomorrow. I have not had school for the past five days because of the blizzard that came through here (17 inches of snow!). Anyway, I have yet to do any of my homework, and I'm not really inclined to do so. I'm looking for some advice. How do you motivate yourself to do things that you don't want to?



    I don't.
  • Reply 11 of 11
    Sorry it's taken me a bit to respond, I've been a little busy. Also, one of the steps I have taken is to not even touch my computer until a large portion of work is completed. ShawnJ, your advice is very good. I have decided to start doing my homework at one of the many libraries in town or on Purdue's campus. When I am at home I don't have anywhere to really work, except for in front of my computer. Another habit I'm trying to get into is making a checklist of tasks that I have to complete in order of priority. So far that has been mildly helpful, I just need to get into the habit of it. Thanks for the advice guys.
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