Maintaining your Motivation

[Philosophos]

Now the thing is that I haven't really tried to pursue stuff, they just happened and either I was good or bad at them and it practically stayed that way.
But the thing is that I managed to get money for the university, I'm actually studying what I love (psychology), but yet I haven't really been able to put studying in my daily programme. Just imagine anxious and furious bursts of pushing myself to the limit to start learning stuff I should have learned 3-5 months ago into 2-3 days if I'm lucky and not have more tests in the same day or week.

I haven't really studied once in my life (very few exceptions) and I'm not the guy with the well organised life that will say: "Yes I won't go for a beer with my friends, unless I have learnt these stuff".

I have lots of things on my mind about how I could change that (I mean that's partially what I'm studying), but still I haven't managed to find the perfect balance for me and lots of times I cave and lose all the focus and organisation I have managed to seize from myself.

If it's not a problem, I would like to get a few ideas of what you are doing/had been doing to actually maintain your motivation in order to try them by myself and see if it is something that acctually helps.

P.S The whole "getting good grades makes you feel great" doesn't really apply to me.

Thanks in advance :grin:

[Ele'ill]

After you've read through and really engaged the material you're studying, either teach it to other people (or to each other in a study group that could be a 1 hour slot in your day) or practice giving a lecture by yourself. If you appreciate the how of discussion/argumentation and its structure, play around with its presentation.

Get into taking whatever you're learning and taking it one step past where you have to be for your class.

[cyu]

I might suggest that you give up trying to get yourself to work properly under the capitalist model, since it's designed for capitalists, not you. But that's kind of bad advice, since you'd just be suffering until The Revolution happens.

The point however is that much of capitalism is based on external motivators - you do stuff because you want something else (like money or a promotion), not because you enjoy the activity itself. As a result, capitalist education evolved in similar ways - you study not because you enjoy learning, but because you want a good grade or a degree. The result is that most students hate school, and most employees hate work.

[Comrade #138672]

There will always be ups and downs for me, no matter how well I am doing for a while (in terms of motivation, getting things done, etc). I have decided to just accept this.

I am currently experiencing a down. I can't get myself motivated for anything and I feel like everything is pointless.

I will get out of it sooner or later, but I don't think I will be able to prevent this.

Of course, this may be very different from what you're experiencing, but still. You can't always force motivation (even though you can develop it to some extent).

[Philosophos]

After you've read through and really engaged the material you're studying, either teach it to other people (or to each other in a study group that could be a 1 hour slot in your day) or practice giving a lecture by yourself. If you appreciate the how of discussion/argumentation and its structure, play around with its presentation.

Get into taking whatever you're learning and taking it one step past where you have to be for your class.

That's actually really good, I kinda like showing off that I have knowledge over a certain subject. Thanks a lot


I might suggest that you give up trying to get yourself to work properly under the capitalist model, since it's designed for capitalists, not you. But that's kind of bad advice, since you'd just be suffering until The Revolution happens.

The point however is that much of capitalism is based on external motivators - you do stuff because you want something else (like money or a promotion), not because you enjoy the activity itself. As a result, capitalist education evolved in similar ways - you study not because you enjoy learning, but because you want a good grade or a degree. The result is that most students hate school, and most employees hate work.

I have in the back of my head that if I work in this particular field, I will have a "secured" life and enough money to do things I like etc, but still it's very difficult for me to grab this reasoning of money being motivator.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

You always feel as though you are the only one who has lost some motivation, but when you talk to other people you realise that pretty much everyone (aside from people who either lie, or are mad workaholics who end up screwing up their later lives) has their ups and downs in terms of motivation and achievement.

So I think the real issue is communication. If you are able to have one or two people who you can unload your issues onto, then you will feel a lot better about the things you haven't done, and be more comfortable about them and therefore be a little more motivated to do positive things.

[Philosophos]

There will always be ups and downs for me, no matter how well I am doing for a while (in terms of motivation, getting things done, etc). I have decided to just accept this.

I am currently experiencing a down. I can't get myself motivated for anything and I feel like everything is pointless.

I will get out of it sooner or later, but I don't think I will be able to prevent this.

Of course, this may be very different from what you're experiencing, but still. You can't always force motivation (even though you can develop it to some extent).

Yes I know, but I have been really close to depression and I managed to overcome it and I feel after a long time that I can manage to do stuff and achieve goals you know. But the problem is that I haven't really been motivated in a very long time so I try to find ways to make it happen.
It's not like I'm going through a bad stage or sth, it's actually the good phase that I'm going now :)

[Philosophos]

You always feel as though you are the only one who has lost some motivation, but when you talk to other people you realise that pretty much everyone (aside from people who either lie, or are mad workaholics who end up screwing up their later lives) has their ups and downs in terms of motivation and achievement.

So I think the real issue is communication. If you are able to have one or two people who you can unload your issues onto, then you will feel a lot better about the things you haven't done, and be more comfortable about them and therefore be a little more motivated to do positive things.

I try this out too, thanks :)

[Comrade #138672]

Yes I know, but I have been really close to depression and I managed to overcome it and I feel after a long time that I can manage to do stuff and achieve goals you know. But the problem is that I haven't really been motivated in a very long time so I try to find ways to make it happen.
It's not like I'm going through a bad stage or sth, it's actually the good phase that I'm going now :)Ah, yes. Even when you are in an up phase, you can still feel like you have not utilized the positive energy enough.

What do you study? During my ups, it helps a lot to go a little beyond the basics and see what else is there. What kind of things can I do with what I am learning right now?

It also helps if you have homework assignments and they can be treated like puzzles, e.g., when you are studying mathematics or something similar. You can then see them as mental exercises.

This becomes a little more difficult if you "just" have to read and memorize a lot, though.

[Philosophos]

Ah, yes. Even when you are in an up phase, you can still feel like you have not utilized the positive energy enough.

What do you study? During my ups, it helps a lot to go a little beyond the basics and see what else is there. What kind of things can I do with what I am learning right now?

It also helps if you have homework assignments and they can be treated like puzzles, e.g., when you are studying mathematics or something similar. You can then see them as mental exercises.

This becomes a little more difficult if you "just" have to read and memorize a lot, though.

The problem is that the first two years have a LOT of learning about basic concepts and how to think as a psychologist and overthrow (I don't even know if this is a word lel) so there are no actual and practical things to do such as making experiments or having a therapy session ( I still haven't decided in which direction I will go therapy or cognitive processes).

So going above the basics is kinda hard cause exactly as you said I have lots of stuff to memorize and I'm still learning the basics as the basis I can't really go to the next step and understand everything (if I don't understand sth to make connections that I can easily remember I have to memorize these things too).

But I suppose I can give it a try too. Thanks

[blake 3:17]

Have you encountered Vygotsky's work at all? I'm a big admirer of his, and have a lot of time for his theory of Zone of Proximal Development: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lev_Vygotsky#Zone_of_proximal_development

It's usually referred to in terms of children's learning, but I think it makes a lot of sense for adults. If what you're learning is overly abstract, then yeah it's going to stay in a certain place or seem dull or pointless. I think that's a sign of health. At the same time that education can be very very valuable and you can't know how you'll use it later.

I tend to try to get to the ultimate meaning of things, and that has often impeded my learning. Other times it's taken me very interesting directions.

I also tend to accumulate a lot and only later, sometimes much later, find any use for that knowledge. A bit slow, then quick quick quick.

[Philosophos]

Have you encountered Vygotsky's work at all? I'm a big admirer of his, and have a lot of time for his theory of Zone of Proximal Development: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lev_Vygotsky#Zone_of_proximal_development

It's usually referred to in terms of children's learning, but I think it makes a lot of sense for adults. If what you're learning is overly abstract, then yeah it's going to stay in a certain place or seem dull or pointless. I think that's a sign of health. At the same time that education can be very very valuable and you can't know how you'll use it later.

I tend to try to get to the ultimate meaning of things, and that has often impeded my learning. Other times it's taken me very interesting directions.

I also tend to accumulate a lot and only later, sometimes much later, find any use for that knowledge. A bit slow, then quick quick quick.

I'm laughing my ass off, cause we had a test on developmental about this guy and some others and I totally skipped him cause there were lots of things to study and a little time :grin:

I also try to find the ultimate meaning, but every time I fail and change my views rather quickly.

[cyu]

I also try to find the ultimate meaning

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...or...

http://i.imgur.com/0d8tKac.jpg

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

Organize a student strike. Best bet, seriously.