Finding Motivation Inside Yourself:
This is a big one for me - I sometimes find it hard to get motivation from within, and often turn to others to help get motivated. I'm not sure why I do this, but I'd like to develop a healthier mindset when it comes to motivation. I put off things I know I should be working on, and sometimes instead do things others either want me to do or things that I still need to complete myself, but that I've got to complete in order to work with someone or please someone. My current mindset is not very healthy.
I looked up some articles about this, and found a few good suggestions on ZenHabits.net . I've found this website/blog very helpful in the past, and I need to make it a point to visit it when I'm feeling less than motivated.
Focusing on Learning:
Since discovering the growth mindset, I've been trying to focus more on learning rather than just solely on how to get an A in a class. I've always wanted to do this, but it can be so hard when overwhelmed with classes, work, and other responsibilities. I've been trying to study not only what I think will be on a test, but also things I've heard or read about from my classes that I find interesting. If I find the material interesting, I'm more likely to remember it, which will come in handy in the future.
Some things I've improved on this semester are choosing what's hard instead of focusing on only what I know already, being willing to try new things, and asking a lot of questions. A lot of my improvement comes from recognizing where I may have been lacking, and keeping my goals for improvement in the back of my mind. I'm very grateful for my research position, because I think it is helping me improve my growth mindset quite a bit. It is forcing me to ask more questions, learn new things, and accept that I will make mistakes, but also realize that a mistake isn't the end of the world. I also think this class has helped me as well. It was very uncomfortable for me to have to pick my own project (portfolio vs storybook) and almost choose my own parameters. I'm used to professors telling me what they expect, and then strictly following their guidelines. This class has opened me up more to being flexible and more open to the options and choosing my own path!
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Hello (again) Sara,
ReplyDeleteI think how you are approaching your focus and attention on learning is interesting. I don't think a lot of students ever realize in college that there is not better time to learn more about a subject or specific material other than now.
I too have HORRIBLE motivation within myself at the beginning of every semester, so I'm high key going to steal your tips and see how they work. I've made improvements in finding my own motivation this semester. A lot of it has to do with how close I am graduating. But I hope that borrowing a tip from you might just help some more!
Best of luck with the remainder of this semester!
Sara!
ReplyDeleteI think it is awesome that you are looking into what interests you. I agree, whenever the subject topic is more interesting I always tend to recall the information better and perform better in class. I completely understand how it is hard to balance learning and all your other responsibilities. There just is not enough time in the day for it. I think it is also really important that you recognize how amazing your research opportunity is too. Good Luck!