Motivation to Study

lazer-zxr

I'm sure I'm not alone here .... I've lost the motivation to study ... again :mad:

So what are my fellow students tips?

I'm 75% through my MBA, all exams and assignments passed, with my 15,000 word dissertation remaining. I'm 1500 words in, and really losing the will ....

agrinnall

Nobody else can make you become motivated, you just need to buckle down, nose to the grindstone, and think of the big bucks that'll be coming your way when you land a job as a high-flying consultant.

dizzie

So your dissertation is 10% done with 90% to go. I guess there are no guaranteed solutions for a lack of motivation, but for what it's worth, it might be worth considering the following:

(i) Can you identify any underlying cause of your lack of motivation? Is your interest engaged by the topic of your dissertation? Do you have any personal/family/work issues which might be distracting you? Are you feeling generally down and a bit depressed (e.g. ? a touch of SADs which can happen once daylight starts to reduce). If you can identify any factors...can you do anything to deal with them?

(ii) And after that, I guess it would be worth trying a few tips that the writers of time management books tend to state, i.e. don't concentrate for long periods. Plan your work in shorter time intervals and get rid of any distractions.....put your phone in another room. You can get back to whoever wants to contact you once you've finished your study period. Interestingly, some companies in Sweden have introduced a 6 hour working day and have found that productivity and profitability has increased! Being sat trying to concentrate for long periods often results in decreasing returns.

(iii) Agrinnall has a point...it's the concept of delayed gratification! Just think about where all your hard work can lead you, and of all the doors that it can open for you! Maybe if it helps you could plan "rewards/incentives" for yourself e.g. if I can "X" done today, I'll take some time tomorrow to relax and enjoy activity "Y" tomorrow or even buy myself item "Z" tomorrow as a treat. Sorry if that sounds a little patronising, but it can actually work. After all, as parents we use tricks like this to incentivise our kids....and some companies use incentives to motivate their workforce. So if self study involves you being your own boss, why not try a little delayed self gratification?

(iv) The reverse is true of course, besides rewarding yourself for working, you could always think of all that hard work and money that has gone to waste if you don't complete your MBA! Kind of like swimming across the channel...getting 5/6ths the way there and then just giving up?

(v) If your study topic allows you, use some less conventional research tools. Okay, you might not be able to incorporate the information you glean, nor reference this in your dissertation, but if it helps spark more interest by giving you more varied activities and providing you with a broader insight into what you are writing about, it might have a purpose. I have always found that, so long as I am interested in a subject, I get more motivated as I delve deeper and make discoveries, even if it does momentarily take me off at a tangent to the main topic!

Good luck Lazer-zxr!

Voyager2002

Firstly, take a day relaxing and doing something completely different. You have come a long way, so you deserve it.

Then try "bribery and corruption". Get a small bar of high-quality chocolate (or some other equally desirable treat) and promise it to yourself once you have done a complete hour of concentrated study. See how much you can get done, and congratulate yourself while you enjoy the chocolate. Take ten minutes to buy another treat, and this time set the limit at two hours. Then have a pleasant lunch; then rinse and repeat...

lazer-zxr

Guys, thanks for all of your words.
I'm going to take all onboard.

Funnily enough, posting this topic motivated me to do quite a bit yesterday.

I'm going to take a break today, and push on with incentive driven, light at the end of the tunnel attitude tomorrow. Thanks so much for your comments, all of which have helped.

I'll get there.
ZXR.

hhermione666

You can set a goal by yourself ,not a big one but specific.
Then make a schedule that keeps you following your plans .Rather than stuff in so many tasks for a day and not finishing them, go for a challenging yet achievable schedule and complete your tasks accordingly.
You also can find a study buddy as a partner that you two can inspire each other.
If your efficiency is not high, just take a break , get out and have some fun to reduce tension. allow yourself time to recharge your batteries.

Good luck! :money:

Helen_Winkelhock

Get organized! Keep your desk or workplace clean and tidy, have your backpack free of papers you don't need, and keep all your papers in a binder with different tabs. When you are organized, you won't lose assignments, and working will be less painful.

tailsmilesprower

If you're mostly working from home i'd maybe work in a different environment. I mostly work from university which is away from all the distractions i get from home.

Coffee also helps!

lazer-zxr

lazer-zxr wrote: »

I'm sure I'm not alone here .... I've lost the motivation to study ... again :mad:

So what are my fellow students tips?

I'm 75% through my MBA, all exams and assignments passed, with my 15,000 word dissertation remaining. I'm 1500 words in, and really losing the will ....

Wow 18 months ago I posted this.
Today I received the good news that I've passed my MBA. What a hard slog that was.

Stick at your studying fellow students.

agrinnall

Well done, hopefully you'll now be in line for that high paying job I mentioned in post #2!