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Motivation Motivation = forces acting either on or within a person to initiate behaviour. Am I Thinking:
I need motivation!! I have no motivation!! Im just not motivated!!
You have plenty of motivation ......... you engage in many different behaviours every day!
The Difficulty Is
The motivation to engage in one activity (watch a movie with friends) at any given moment is stronger than the motivation to engage in another activity (study).
Shift the balance of motivational strength to support one activity rather than another. Have the balance of motivational strength that activates the behaviours that support the goals you have set out to achieve (i.e. completing a university degree)
How much you value a task (i.e study, doing assignments, doing projects etc.) affects motivation Value is the usefulness, importance you place on a task If you see value in doing the task - motivation increases If you see no value in doing the task motivation decreases
In your program of study, you may be faced with tasks in which you see little value and youre having trouble getting motivated to complete the task. Search for value If nothing else. the task is required to pass the course and passing the course is valuable to me the course is required to obtain my qualification and that is valuable to me
So..
Rather than engage in negative mumble jumble Example:
dont know why we have to do this stupid activity I dont see the relevance of this what does this have to do with being a ____ this is just silly Ive got better things to do than_____
Being Interested in and Enjoying a Task Creates High Motivation Are you doing your program of study just because you want the piece of paper at the end or because you want the piece of paper AND you want the knowledge to be able to function well in a certain occupational domain?
When you are facing a task that you think is not interesting and certainly not enjoyable ask yourself these questions?
What exactly is unenjoyable about this task? (Nothing really, but Id rather be doing something else!) When I have completed the something else will I feel any better than if I had worked on the study task?
Why exactly is this task not interesting? Is there something I could learn that I didnt know before? How could I be creative about this task?
If you tell yourself, this is so boring and Im going to hate doing this Motivation will Decrease Whereas, if you say to yourself, Im sure I can enjoy learning something new and interesting from this task Motivation will Increase
And immediate rewards for bigger completed task When I have finished and handed in this piece of assessment I am going to (go to the beach, go out to a movie with a friend, go away for a weekend, take the kids out for the day, etc)
Take complete time outs and do not even think about study.and dont feel guilty about it. If possible make these substantial time outs on a regular basis. These are times you can totally devote to other things: spending time with a spouse/partner, time with family (especially if you have young children), a special project at home, a weekend away etc.
The need that is the greatest at any given time will be the one we are most highly motivated to meet.
Engage in regular (i.e. 4-5 times a week) aerobic exerciseIts amazing what this does for the brain, the attitude, the mood and motivation. Anything it does for your body shape is just an added bonus! Engage in meaningful social contactKeep in touch with family, friends & uni colleagues. Join either a sports team/book club/church group/dancing club etc. Aim to be Healthy and Happy.
In Summary.
Influences that Increase Motivation Setting and achieving small goals Influences that Decrease Motivation Only looking at the final goal which is far in the future
Expect to succeed
Engage in positive self talk and find value in the tasks required to complete your course of study Adopt the attitude that the tasks required can be interesting and enjoyable Taking complete and regular mental and physical time outs from study. Immediately reward yourself for little tasks and/or portion of a task completed. Healthy Eating Plenty of Sleep Plenty of physical exercise--Fit Effective social network
Expect to fail
Engage in negative self talk about how useless an assignment or course is Adopt the attitude that the study tasks are boring and can not be enjoyed. Carrying the thought every waking moment that I should be studying and feeling guilty if you arent studying every waking moment. No reward except for passing the course and taking no time outs Unhealthy Eating Inadequate Sleep No physical exercise---unfit No social network
Just Remember Whoever I am and whatever I am doing Some form of excellence is within my reach!
References
Legault, L., Green-Demers, I., & Pelletier, L. (2006). Why do High School Students lack Motivation in the Classroom? Toward an understanding of academic amotivation and the role of social support. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 567-582. Steel, P. & Knig, C.J. (2006). Integrating Theories of Motivation. Academy of Management Review, 31, 889-913. Seligman, M.E.P. (2002). Authentic Happiness. Sydney: Random House. Kember, D. (2000). Misconceptions about the learning approaches, motivation and study practices of Asian students. Higher Education, 40, 99-121. VandenBos, G.R.(Ed.). (2006). American Psychological Association Dictionary of Psychology. (1st ed.) Washington: APA Publishing.