How To: Start the School Year Motivated

Hello, Reader!

Motivation is something that’s often misunderstood - and because of that, it can be difficult to maintain. We aren’t taught how to motivate ourselves, or rather find our motivation. I’d even go as far as saying that the external motivators we are subjected to are misleading at best and harmful at worst. But why do we feel demotivated at the start of the school year anyway? Shouldn’t just the thought of a fresh beginning and a year full of new opportunities make us excited for the year to come? Let’s be honest, it can be quite overwhelming and stressful, especially if you’re not fond of school in general. Regardless, there are ways you can make it easier on yourself and get excited (and motivated) for the new school year.

The best way to find motivation is to set goals that you are truly passionate about achieving. Typically, a lot of the goals we have are more like dreams that seem distant and irrelevant to our day to day life - the key is to set goals that motivate you to work towards them every day. This means breaking down that big, distant dream into a step by step plan with smaller goals along the way. How can this school year push you towards that dream? What do you want to achieve this year? Create clear goals which help you move forward and make an effort to not forget them. Write them in a place where you’ll often see them: above your desk, on your lock screen, in your wallet, on the cover of your planner…

Speaking of your planner - plan ahead. Invest in a simple planner or journal which will help you stay organised. (More on that next week.) Even just a notebook designated specifically for writing down homework, deadlines, plans and to-do lists will help you keep on top of things and make you feel more in control. It’s easy to get lost in all the information when you’re busy with a lot of different things so try to find an organisation system which works for you.

Relatedness is a big intrinsic motivator: having a network of support and encouragement in a growth-oriented environment. This network can be everyone around you but it can also be just a friend with whom you share mutual support and motivation. Think of it as a buddy system where you hold each other accountable and encourage one another to do their best. Doing homework and revision together when possible means that you can also use you can balance out each other’s strengths and weaknesses and make the work that much easier. Not only that, but a good buddy could be really helpful when school starts putting a strain on your mental health - it’s nice to have someone to check up on you and make you feel less alone. At the end of the day, a lot of people are going through similar school-related struggles.

Most importantly: take it one day at a time. You’ve got this!

Love,

Agnes xo