Staying Motivated: How To Manage Your Momentum

It’s easy to get distracted with the abundance of free time provided when learning and working from home.

With warm weather underway, students and teachers may find themselves focusing less on their obligations and more on entertainment.

Still, spring fever should not be an excuse to stray from distance learning responsibilities.

88% of workers spend at least 1-hour of their day procrastinating on a task. However, it is possible to re-emerge after a setback. Here’s how in six simple steps:

1. Acknowledge What Went Wrong

As the saying goes, admitting is the first step. In other words, when you feel yourself stuck in a state of procrastination, take control by recognizing the reality of the situation you’re in.

To do so, analyze how you fell into your state of procrastination. Furthermore, plan out how you can be proactive in moving forward.

2. Reset Your Outlet

There’s a positive in every negative. Take advantage of your procrastination by looking at your setback as a lesson and use it as motivation to push forward. Whether it’s an essay you’re waiting to begin or a stack of exams you’re holding off on grading; if done correctly, your stress can be taken as a positive force. 

3. Take Baby Steps

Understand that your stalling habits can’t be remedied overnight. Take Alan Weiss’ “One Percent Solution” into account. Weiss says if you improve yourself, or craft, by 1% each day, in 70 days you’ll be 2x as good as you are now.

Saying this, taking small, incremental improvements over time will result in bigger accomplishments.

4. The Importance of Creating Goals

We often leave it up to the beginning of a new year to set goals for ourselves; however, we don’t always live up to our own expectations. Creating goals is important in pinpointing our future, bringing us to hold ourselves responsible for our doings.

A goal can’t become a plan without an idea of a vision. Saying this, start with a dream about your objects for your ideal timeframe and beyond when setting a goal. To be sure that your goal is motivating, consider writing down why it’s valuable and important to you. For example:

• Complete essay 1-day early to allow room for revision for a better grade.
• Grade exams the night of administration to give students feedback while the content is still fresh in their brains.

However, be sure to to avoid overwhelming yourself when making to-do and goal lists.

5. Let Tech Organize Your Thoughts

By using apps and platforms such as Procraster, JotForm, and Trello, you can leave it up to tech to manage your memory.

Procraster gives advice on how to overcome procrastination on your specific mindset, great for remedying your obligations to time-wasting.

JotForm is an online form builder, great for teachers who need to distribute surveys, track information, and generate spreadsheets.

Trello helps users track projects and tasks with easy-to-use lists, great for mapping out university choices, projects, and assignments. 

6. Keep Moving Forward

Distance learning is a tough nut to crack, especially given our sudden shift into its dynamic. Continue making lists, taking measurable action, and starting with just one step at a time to keep track of your educational obligations. Check out the infographic below for more tips on how to manage your momentum, applicable in quarantine and beyond.