All major tests needs discipline, commitment, focus, and most of all, the motivation to sit down and concentrate. If you are reading this, I will assume that you lack the last ingredient of the recipe. Firstly, let me tell you that you are not the odd one out. This is a real problem afflicting countless people in different wakes of life. Motivation is a tricky thing; one moment, you have it and the other moment its completely gone. It comes and goes in waves and, you are left to wonder why you can’t get ahold of it. I know this cat and mouse game is really frustrating when your future prospects are at stake.
However, the last thing I want for you is to fall into pessimism. Sure, a lack of motivation is worrysome but what is even more destructive is self-loathing and the idea that everything in life is working against you. I have had my own struggles with nihilism and it is not pretty and so if you feel that you are going down that path I am here to help you. Many a times, we need to ask the important questions and gain a different perspective on the problems we face and sure enough these questions end up helping us. Let’s see if I can change your mind and help you motivate yourself because you wouldn’t be able to study for your exam without motivation.
Ask the right Questions
I usually find that people who are demotivated to do something don’t have a clear answer for why they want do that thing in the first place. Ask yourself, why do you want to take this exam? What good would it do for your life? What are the pros and cons of not taking it or scoring well? Would taking the exam enhance your wellbeing? Would you be better off without it?
These are only some of the important questions you should ask yourself and reflect on the answers. Start by writing these questions down and go over them one by one. Deeply reflect on the answers that appear in your consciousness and remain objective. Your answers will tell you everything you need to know to become motivated.
Moreover, a great thing I have learned over the years is to make a pros and cons list. We tend to get lost in our modern lives when many a time the most effective solutions are the simplest. Do this right now, write cons on one side of the paper and pros on the other. Ask yourself how studying for the exam will positively affect your life. For example, it may set you towards a greater career path. It may get you into a program that will increase your living standards down the line. It may fetch you that position in your line of work that you have been eyeing for some time.
Whatever benefits you can think of, write them down under pros. Similarly, make an adjacent cons list. Ask yourself the disadvantages of studying for the exam. Write these down and then weight both pros and cons at the end. If the pros out-weigh the cons, I am sure you will feel that motivation building up. If they don’t then you need to ask yourself why are you considering the test in the first place. Perhaps your demotivation stems from legitimate reasons. If this is the case, then you don’t have to take the test. Maybe you are meant for something else and that is a conversation you need to have with yourself and preferably a guidance counselor.
I just ask you to be completely objective and honest with yourself. Don’t lie to yourself when making the list because that would defeat the purpose entirely. Take some time to yourself and really reflect on your thoughts. If you find that you are taking the exam for the right reasons, motivation will follow.
Choose Your Pain
“Pain is everywhere”, however, before you sulk and drop into depression hear me out. Over the years, I have realized that there is great strength in embracing some of the harsh realities of life. Life is not easy for many of us and most of the times we are subjects to the causal chain of events that the universe has deemed onto us. However, this is not to say that you cannot change the trajectory of your life. The mere realization that you can intervene and change things for the better is empowering enough. Which brings me to what I started this paragraph with i.e. pain.
Consider a person who is obese and wants to lose fat. They have two options: they can either work out, follow a diet regimen, lose weight, or do nothing about it and keep living the life they are living. Both of these options are painful. Breaking years of bad habits to become healthy is painful but doing nothing about it is also painful. None of the options will relieve your pain instantly. However, one of them can in fact subside the pain with time and even heal it.
You need to realize that life will continue happening no matter what option you choose. The days will turn into weeks, the weeks into months, and the months into years. If you choose not to act on it, you may feel a sense of false relief at the time but imagine the gut-wrenching realization after a few years when you think back to this time and suffer the immense pain caused by inaction.
This is why you need to “choose your pain”. There is no shortcut to getting worthwhile things in life. You need to make a momentary sacrifice for the greater good. The same philosophy can also be applied to your exam studies. Why prolong and increase the pain when you know that you will be better off years from now if you can act on it currently at the cost of some discomfort.
Remind Yourself Why it’s worth it
This may seem obvious but it really works. Whenever I have to do something difficult such as preparing for a test. I write down the reasons why I am doing it and paste them on the wall in my study space. We already went over the reasons and the benefits of doing the exam above. You should know by now why you are doing it and what benefits it will bring you in the long run. Now write these down in big letters and stick the paper to things you come in contact with the most i.e. fridge, closet, etc.
A constant reminder of the end goal can keep your motivation high. You may get distracted by life every now and then but having reminders that you can read frequently will set you back on the right path