Happy midterm season! It's that time of the quarter and your motivation seems to be found nowhere.
We've all been there. You're lying on your bed, staring at the ceiling while your reading assignments, papers, and lecture notes you've been meaning to review are eagerly waiting for you to give them some TLC.
But no, you would rather do literally anything than have to read and flip another page of the world's most boring yet way-too-expensive-for-a-broke-college-kid textbook or open up another depressing blank google doc to write the same heading you've been writing since high school on your 10-page paper that's due tomorrow.
The complete absence of motivation happens to the best of us and here are some things that will hopefully help pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get going again.
1. Remember you aren't alone.
What makes it worse is when you feel like your friends, your roommate, your classmates, etc., seem to hit the ground running, ticking boxes off their to-do lists, and are just so perfectly driven every day, all day. But you are not alone. There are so many who feel the exact same way you do, including myself and that's okay. We aren't superhuman.
2. Take a day to do nothing.
Sometimes you just need a day to let loose and do absolutely nothing. College is hectic and a lot of the times we spread ourselves way too thin. Balancing school, social lives, part-time jobs, family commitments, internships, etc. is not the easiest when we're only one person.
3. Find joy in the little things.
Cecilia Cho
Personally, what cheers me up and motivates me somehow, are sunsets after I walk out of the library. When I see the beautiful colors that signal the end of a long day, slowly tinting the campus sky, I realize how blessed I am just to be alive to see these breathtaking sunsets.
Finding joy in the little things – whether it be sunsets like me, or a tub of ice cream, your favorite TV show, or walking your dog – can bring you purpose and fulfillment in life more than you think.
4. Watch go-getter YouTubers
A little YouTube never hurt anybody. There are so many inspirational vloggers on YouTube these days that can really help you feel motivated. They range from college students and medical school students to elementary school teachers, teen entrepreneurs, you-name-it.
Don't be mistaken – their videos are the furthest thing from showing how they're thriving in life; a lot of them also vlog when they are at their lows like when they're too stressed, lacking motivation, just lost in life, etc.
They also post a bunch of motivational videos like early morning routines or 'study with me' videos. Rachel Southard, Richard Yu, and Yoora Jung are a few YouTubers to get you started.
5. Always remember your long term goals.
When your lack of motivation seems to persist for a little too long, try to envision your future. Whether you're planning to take a gap year, attend graduate school, or jump right into the job market, think about how your choices today will affect your long term goals.
6. Start by making your bed in the morning.
"If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another... If you can't do the little things right, you'll never be able to do the big things right.
And if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made, that you made. And a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better." - William H. McRaven
Good luck to all the college kiddos out there.
We got this.
