MAY MOTIVATION

Alanna Chan | ’20-’21 Historian/Tech Editor

It’s May—we're so close to the end of the school year, but it feels especially long because of this quarantine. Some of us “may” have lost our motivation, so here’s some tips! You might have heard these before, but this is a great time to hear it again! 1. WRITE things down. a. This is such a helpful tip for me. Extra points if you have a planner too!

Writing things down helps a lot because not only do you keep it in your brain, but it’s written down for you which helps you remember it better the second you spell out the letters on the page. Also, if you forget, it’s always on that piece of paper! 2. Think about your PRIORITIES. a. You might hear this one a lot, but it’s significant to note! Sometimes, we want to do things that are more enjoyable, but less important. Start with the things with closer deadlines, and continue from there. It’ll help you organize your thoughts, starting with what is most necessary first. 3. Set REALISTIC GOALS. 1. Everyone sets goals, but the question is: are they attainable? If not, it's natural that we have less motivation to complete them. Making unachievable goals simply limits our potential because we have no hope that we will actually accomplish them. Instead, make smaller goals and make multiple! It’ll help you by taking ”smaller steps” to get to the end goal. 4. Don’t be afraid to take a BREAK. a. This is something I am still learning, because it’s not easy to always take a break. Whether you’re on a roll, or it feels like it won't be beneficial, sometimes we want to keep going. Or, there’s the other situation where we take too many breaks, just going on our phones and swiping away on social media. Taking little breaks to refresh your mind helps you process things better and will ultimately help you in the long run. 5. Remind yourself WHY you’re doing what you’re doing. 1. We could be doing something for many different reasons: for fun, because we’re told to, maybe it’s necessary—just a whole list of reasons. No matter what though, there’s usually going to be an intention behind it. If not, then why would you be doing it in the first place? Take this into account and persevere through the task, possibly being school work or learning something new. That’s all from me, so now it’s your turn to implement this advice into your life and hopefully it comes into good use! This one is not really a tip, but just a mindset. “Work first, play later." If you’re ever working on something that isn’t enjoyable to you (maybe it’s something required), think about how the faster you get it done, the faster you can relax and play around later!