Finding the motivation to complete assignments can sometimes be hard. Life happens, work, kids, maintaining a social life...sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day or there is anything else you would rather be doing. So how do you get the motivation to keep pushing and complete tasks, when you would rather be doing something else? Sometimes we manufacture it.
| Skill: | How to Execute: | Examples: |
| Valuation |
Consider why a task is Think how your “future self” will feel when the task is complete. |
How important is this to me? How will I feel if I finish |
| Specificity |
Define the task, specifically. Pair that with a date, time, and place you will work on this task. |
I am going to finish my 3-2 Discussion on Wednesday at 5pm in my office because it is a quiet place. |
| Externalize Motivation | Use pictures, quotes, or other inspirations to reinforce your plan. |
“I can do hard things!” “I am in control of my future.” |
| Coping Thoughts | Anticipate how you may rationalize task avoidance and develop task-oriented responses. | “I know that I don’t want to do this now, but I also know this is important to my future and to complete my goals.” |
| Normalize Discomfort | Acknowledge that you won’t always “be in the mood” for a task but you can still engage with it. |
Give your discomfort purpose. Utilize that discomfort and put it into your task. Ex: Authors write from experience, musicians put their emotions into their music, artists create with their emotions. |
| Emotions as sensations and information | Just because the task feels uncomfortable doesn’t mean that it’s bad. Goals sometimes require discomfort. You are investing your discomfort into achieving a goal. | Utilize those emotions to reach your goals! |
| Initiation Step | Define the smallest step that indicates that you have started the task. | Collect your laptop, a pen, and paper. That means the task has started and once you have started it, you will work to complete it. |
| Follow through with the completion plan. | Get started, see how it goes, and be mindful of the results. | |
| Learn from mistakes and practice self-compassion | Modify your plan if it doesn’t work. Be kind to yourself and understand that life is trial and error. | Try and try again. Life is trial and error. Do what works BEST for you! |
| Reward Yourself | Take the things you WANT to do and make them a reward for the things you NEED to do. | “I want to go to the movies with my friends, but I need to do my homework. I will complete one assignment before going it’s time to go so that I am able to go out with my friends.” |
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