It is often the biggest problem that keeps us from learning: the lack of motivation. Because, of course, there are tens of things you would much rather do. So motivating yourself is actually the most difficult task when it comes to learning. But: Motivation is important, because it makes the learning process much easier. And it helps you retain things more easily than if you stare at your books in a disgruntled manner.
But how can you motivate yourself if you don’t really feel like it or if the subject doesn’t appeal to you? Unfortunately, there is no general answer to this question. After all, motivation is something very individual. Therefore, the same applies here: Just try out different things. These could be, for example:
- Write yourself a to-do list. It not only provides an overview, but also shows you what you have accomplished with each item that you can cross off.
- Learn step by step. There’s no point in trying to hammer everything into your head straight away. Instead, work your way from subtask to subtask by breaking a topic into several steps.
- Reward yourself for completed tasks and find something your brain associates with positive feelings, such as listening to music, eating something sweet, or taking the dog for a walk. This type of positive conditioning ensures that you associate learning with pleasant things.
- Set a firm deadline. Learning doesn’t mean sitting in your room for five hours trying to memorize everything. Rather, set a specific start and end point. This is much more motivating than open-ended learning.