Once the initial shine and glamour of being at Uni wears off, we are often left feeling unmotivated and uninspired to study. Towards the end of session the coffee mugs get stained, the morning alarms get louder and the headaches start setting in.
TED Talks are powerful, meaningful and inspirational sessions presented by experts to improve your behaviour and attitude in life. Here are three talks you should listen to to combat a lack of motivation:
Angela Duckworth
Angela gives a very inspiring talk on grit.
“Grit is having stamina. Grit is thinking of your future, day in and day out, not just for the week, not just for the month but for years… to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it’s a marathon.”
Angela makes the point that success doesn’t come from talent, we don’t have to be geniuses to get top marks or commit to our studies. The most important thing to be motivated is to have a growth mindset.
This is the mindset by which people believe that failure isn’t a bad thing, rather a learning curve that helps us progress. If we have this idea in our minds, then getting a fail on one assessment isn’t a bad thing. We should learn from it, seek feedback from the marker and improve on the next one.
Dan Pink
Dan’s talk on ‘The Puzzle of Motivation’ outlines the fundamental problem of how using financial incentives to increase productivity is actually having a detrimental impact. He comes to the conclusion that if people love and care about what they do, they will be highly motivated to get the job done.
So, think about whether the course you’re studying is something you love. If it is, motivation won’t usually be a problem. I love my study and while I have my off days, 95% of the time I am pretty motivated to study. This is because I have an active interest in the subject material and studying isn’t a chore, it’s sometimes fun for me!
If you aren’t getting the same vibes from your course and you’re finding it hard to focus, perhaps consider a change of course at the end of semester. Or perhaps look at different units you could be studying.
Mel Robbins
Another speaker who goes into the problem of indecisiveness and apathetic attitudes of society is Mel. She wants us to decide exactly what we want and then go for it.
If you want to graduate with top marks, then focus on that when you’re reaching for that fifth cup of coffee. Imagine how you will feel on your graduation day, that’s what will motivate you.
After all, we control our brains and if we convince ourselves that we want something enough, our brains will focus.
All the best with being your most motivated self! In the words of Mel Robbins,“No snooze, no delay.”
