Creating Meaningful Motivation
Create and review a Learning Goals sheet for classes
- Pick a course to focus on, perhaps one where your motivation is relatively low. On a document or sheet of paper, write down the main thing youʼd like to understand by the end of the course. Then write down one thing you want to learn from the next lecture or section. From now on, before each class starts, write down what you want to learn from it. After each class, reflect on how close you got to learning what you wanted to learn.
- Bonus motivation: show your Learning Goals Sheet to your instructor or TA and get their input on your goals.
Create and review an Homework Enjoyments list
- On a sheet youʼll look at regularly, write down 3–5 things you like about doing your homework (e.g., pset, paper, or reading). For example, “I like solving the problems—theyʼre like little puzzles,” “I enjoy the research,” or “I sometimes feel proud when I read my own paragraphs.” Each day, add one Homework Enjoyment to your list.
- Bonus motivation: write down the number of minutes it took you to get “into” the work and enjoy it.
Create and review a Homework Benefits list
- On a document or sheet of paper, write down three benefits you get from learning from the homework. For example, your benefits might be learning about ideas that help with current or future courses or learning ideas that give you a different way to look at current events. Put this list where youʼll see it daily.
List and review your values
- Write three things that describe the kind of attitudes you want to cultivate and behaviors you want to perform as a student (eg., curious, diligent, self-disciplined, resilient, proactive). Then write something you can do for each one. For example, what would you do if you were curious? Perhaps curiously take a peek at the material before the lecture and write down one question for the lecture you want to learn about.
Caveat on creating meaningful motivation
Focusing on goals, benefits, and values can certainly help motivate you. But it can also demotivate you if youʼre thinking you canʼt achieve your goals or meet your values. So, use your judgement. If applying the above strategies is helping, great! If not, you may wish to focus on the behavioral motivational strategies in the other handouts. And donʼt forget about the super strategy for motivation—meet with an Academic Coach!
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Creating Meaningful Motivation
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