- Stop waiting for the “perfect time” or for the conditions to be ideal. That seldom happens when we really need to get started now. Maybe the best time was last week but the second best time is right NOW!! Set a specific time and begin your task.
- Be a “Do-er”: Practice DOING things rather than just thinking about them. The longer an idea sits in your head without being acted upon the weaker it becomes. The hardest thing for most students is to just get started.
- Ideas alone won’t get it done: Put an idea into action. DO something! Thinking about it is not a substitute for doing it.
- Use ACTION to overcome fear and anxiety: The hardest thing to overcome is often the anxiety of getting started. Take that first step and feel the fear and anxiety subside. Just sitting down with the book, computer, or paper/pencil generally eases our anxiety about the project.
- Don’t wait for inspiration! If you wait you might never get started. Even if you just doodle, sit down, do something, start to think, and get started!
- The present is NOW! Stop worrying about what you should have done yesterday. Yesterday is over, and rather than worrying about tomorrow or the future, just get started TODAY! We can always find reasons to procrastinate. It is a habit that can be changed and re-learned.
- Get to work IMMEDIATELY!! Eliminate distractions and extraneous activity. Forget Facebook, IM’ing, the cell phone, IPod, etc. You are losing time! Focus and GET STARTED!
How to Get Motivated for Learning
- Think Positive: Approach and think of class work as being both interesting and meaningful. Look at the bright side!
- Set Goals: Make sure your goals are realistic and attainable. Set specific and short term goals. Reward yourself when you reach one!
- Active Learning: Passive reading is usually not sufficient to study effectively. You need to become actively engaged in the work. Take notes. Use bib cards. Talk out loud. Draw a diagram. Make connections between the new information you are learning and what you already studied.
- Persist: Study your hardest or most boring subject first. Break a long assignment into smaller ones. Stick with it until it is completed. Give yourself time to review and reflect.
- Make it Fun! Be creative. Use icons or draw concept maps. Pretend you are teaching the material to someone else. Make interesting and novel associations and connections as you study.
- Get a Study Partner: Study with someone who has a positive attitude and who wants to do well. Stay focused. Two brains are generally better than one!
- Use humor! Create unique rhymes or acronyms to help you remember. Find something to laugh about. It’s good for your brain!