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Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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30 Tips to Stop Procrastinating and Find Motivation to Do Homework

Updated on June 6, 2023 By Daniel Wong 44 Comments

To stop procrastinating on homework, you need to find motivation to do the homework in the first place.

But first, you have to overcome feeling too overwhelmed to even start.

You know what it feels like when everything hits you at once, right?

You have three tests to study for and a math assignment due tomorrow.

And you’ve got a history report due the day after.

You tell yourself to get down to work. But with so much to do, you feel overwhelmed.

So you procrastinate.

You check your social media feed, watch a few videos, and get yourself a drink. But you know that none of this is bringing you closer to getting the work done.

Does this sound familiar?

Don’t worry – you are not alone. Procrastination is a problem that everyone faces, but there are ways around it.

By following the tips in this article, you’ll be able to overcome procrastination and consistently find the motivation to do the homework .

So read on to discover 30 powerful tips to help you stop procrastinating on your homework.

Enter your email below to download a PDF summary of this article. The PDF contains all the tips found here, plus  3 exclusive bonus tips that you’ll only find in the PDF.

How to stop procrastinating and motivate yourself to do your homework.

Procrastination when it comes to homework isn’t just an issue of laziness or a lack of motivation .

The following tips will help you to first address the root cause of your procrastination and then implement strategies to keep your motivation levels high.

1. Take a quiz to see how much you procrastinate.

The first step to changing your behavior is to become more self-aware.

How often do you procrastinate? What kinds of tasks do you tend to put off? Is procrastination a small or big problem for you?

To answer these questions, I suggest that you take this online quiz designed by Psychology Today .

2. Figure out why you’re procrastinating.

Procrastination is a complex issue that involves multiple factors.

Stop thinking of excuses for not doing your homework , and figure out what’s keeping you from getting started.

Are you procrastinating because:

• You’re not sure you’ll be able to solve all the homework problems?
• You’re subconsciously rebelling against your teachers or parents?
• You’re not interested in the subject or topic?
• You’re physically or mentally tired?
• You’re waiting for the perfect time to start?
• You don’t know where to start?

Once you’ve identified exactly why you’re procrastinating, you can pick out the tips in this article that will get to the root of the problem.

3. Write down what you’re procrastinating on.

Students tend to procrastinate when they’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

But you might be surprised to discover that simply by writing down the specific tasks you’re putting off, the situation will feel more manageable.

It’s a quick solution, and it makes a real difference.

Give it a try and you’ll be less likely to procrastinate.

4. Put your homework on your desk.

Here’s an even simpler idea.

Many times, the hardest part of getting your homework done is getting started.

It doesn’t require a lot of willpower to take out your homework and put it on your desk.

But once it’s sitting there in front of you, you’ll be much closer to actually getting down to work.

5. Break down the task into smaller steps.

This one trick will make any task seem more manageable.

For example, if you have a history report to write, you could break it down into the following steps:

• Read the history textbook
• Do online research
• Organize the information
• Create an outline
• Write the introduction
• Write the body paragraphs
• Write the conclusion
• Edit and proofread the report

Focus on just one step at a time. This way, you won’t need to motivate yourself to write the whole report at one go.

This is an important technique to use if you want to study smart and get more done .

6. Create a detailed timeline with specific deadlines.

As a follow-up to Point #5, you can further combat procrastination by creating a timeline with specific deadlines.

Using the same example above, I’ve added deadlines to each of the steps:

• Jan 30 th : Read the history textbook
• Feb 2 nd : Do online research
• Feb 3 rd : Organize the information
• Feb 5 th : Create an outline
• Feb 8 th : Write the introduction
• Feb 12 th : Write the body paragraphs
• Feb 14 th : Write the conclusion
• Feb 16 th : Edit and proofread the report

Assigning specific dates creates a sense of urgency, which makes it more likely that you’ll keep to the deadlines.

7. Spend time with people who are focused and hardworking.

Jim Rohn famously said that you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

If you hang out with people who are motivated and hardworking, you’ll become more like them.

Likewise, if you hang out with people who continually procrastinate, you’ll become more like them too.

Motivation to do homework naturally increases when you surround yourself with the right people.

So choose your friends wisely. Find homework buddies who will influence you positively to become a straight-A student who leads a balanced life.

That doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun! It just means that you and your friends know when it’s time to get down to work and when it’s time to enjoy yourselves.

8. Tell at least two or three people about the tasks you plan to complete.

When you tell others about the tasks you intend to finish, you’ll be more likely to follow through with your plans.

This is called “accountability,” and it kicks in because you want to be seen as someone who keeps your word.

So if you know about this principle, why not use it to your advantage?

You could even ask a friend to be your accountability buddy. At the beginning of each day, you could text each other what you plan to work on that day.

Then at the end of the day, you could check in with each other to see if things went according to plan.

9. Change your environment .

Maybe it’s your environment that’s making you feel sluggish.

When you’re doing your homework, is your super-comfortable bed just two steps away? Or is your distracting computer within easy reach?

If your environment is part of your procrastination problem, then change it.

Sometimes all you need is a simple change of scenery. Bring your work to the dining room table and get it done there. Or head to a nearby café to complete your report.

10. Talk to people who have overcome their procrastination problem.

If you have friends who consistently win the battle with procrastination, learn from their experience.

What was the turning point for them? What tips and strategies do they use? What keeps them motivated?

Find all this out, and then apply the information to your own situation.

11. Decide on a reward to give yourself after you complete your task.

“Planned” rewards are a great way to motivate yourself to do your homework.

The reward doesn’t have to be something huge.

For instance, you might decide that after you finish 10 questions of your math homework, you get to watch your favorite TV show.

Or you might decide that after reading one chapter of your history textbook, you get to spend 10 minutes on Facebook.

By giving yourself a reward, you’ll feel more motivated to get through the task at hand.

12. Decide on a consequence you’ll impose on yourself if you don’t meet the deadline.

It’s important that you decide on what the consequence will be before you start working toward your goal.

As an example, you could tell your younger brother that you’ll give him $1 for every deadline you don’t meet (see Point #6).

Or you could decide that you’ll delete one game from your phone for every late homework submission.

Those consequences would probably be painful enough to help you get down to work, right?

13. Visualize success.

Take 30 seconds and imagine how you’ll feel when you finish your work.

What positive emotions will you experience?

Will you feel a sense of satisfaction from getting all your work done?

Will you relish the extra time on your hands when you get your homework done fast and ahead of time?

This simple exercise of visualizing success may be enough to inspire you to start doing your assignment.

14. Visualize the process it will take to achieve that success.

Even more important than visualizing the outcome is visualizing the process it will take to achieve that outcome.

Research shows that focusing on the process is critical to success. If you’re procrastinating on a task, take a few moments to think about what you’ll need to do to complete it.

Visualize the following:

• What resources you’ll need
• Who you can turn to for help
• How long the task will take
• Where you’ll work on the task
• The joy you’ll experience as you make progress

This kind of visualization is like practice for your mind.

Once you understand what’s necessary to achieve your goal, you’ll find that it’s much easier to get down to work with real focus. This is key to doing well in school .

15. Write down why you want to complete the task.

You’ll be more motivated when you’re clear about why you want to accomplish something.

To motivate yourself to do your homework, think about all the ways in which it’s a meaningful task.

So take a couple of minutes to write down the reasons. Here are some possible ones:

• Learn useful information
• Master the topic
• Enjoy a sense of accomplishment when you’ve completed the task
• Become a more focused student
• Learn to embrace challenges
• Fulfill your responsibility as a student
• Get a good grade on the assignment

16. Write down the negative feelings you’ll have if you don’t complete the task.

If you don’t complete the assignment, you might feel disappointed or discouraged. You might even feel as if you’ve let your parents or your teacher – or even yourself – down.

It isn’t wise to dwell on these negative emotions for too long. But by imagining how you’ll feel if you don’t finish the task, you’ll realize how important it is that you get to work.

17. Do the hardest task first.

Most students will choose to do the easiest task first, rather than the hardest one. But this approach isn’t effective because it leaves the worst for last.

It’s more difficult to find motivation to do homework in less enjoyable subjects.

As Brian Tracy says , “Eat that frog!” By this, he means that you should always get your most difficult task out of the way at the beginning of the day.

If math is your least favorite subject, force yourself to complete your math homework first.

After doing so, you’ll feel a surge of motivation from knowing it’s finished. And you won’t procrastinate on your other homework because it will seem easier in comparison.

(On a separate note, check out these tips on how to get better at math if you’re struggling.)

18. Set a timer when doing your homework.

I recommend that you use a stopwatch for every homework session. (If you prefer, you could also use this online stopwatch or the Tomato Timer .)

Start the timer at the beginning of the session, and work in 30- to 45-minute blocks.

Using a timer creates a sense of urgency, which will help you fight off your urge to procrastinate.

When you know you only have to work for a short session, it will be easier to find motivation to complete your homework.

Tell yourself that you need to work hard until the timer goes off, and then you can take a break. (And then be sure to take that break!)

19. Eliminate distractions.

Here are some suggestions on how you can do this:

• Delete all the games and social media apps on your phone
• Turn off all notifications on your phone
• Mute your group chats
• Archive your inactive chats
• Turn off your phone, or put it on airplane mode
• Put your phone at least 10 feet away from you
• Turn off the Internet access on your computer
• Use an app like Freedom to restrict your Internet usage
• Put any other distractions (like food, magazines and books unrelated to your homework) at the other end of the room
• Unplug the TV
• Use earplugs if your surroundings are noisy

20. At the start of each day, write down the two to three Most Important Tasks (MITs) you want to accomplish.

This will enable you to prioritize your tasks. As Josh Kaufman explains , a Most Important Task (MIT) is a critical task that will help you to get significant results down the road.

Not all tasks are equally important. That’s why it’s vital that you identify your MITs, so that you can complete those as early in the day as possible.

What do you most need to get done today? That’s an MIT.

Get to work on it, then feel the satisfaction that comes from knowing it’s out of the way.

21. Focus on progress instead of perfection.

Perfectionism can destroy your motivation to do homework and keep you from starting important assignments.

Some students procrastinate because they’re waiting for the perfect time to start.

Others do so because they want to get their homework done perfectly. But they know this isn’t really possible – so they put off even getting started.

What’s the solution?

To focus on progress instead of perfection.

There’s never a perfect time for anything. Nor will you ever be able to complete your homework perfectly. But you can do your best, and that’s enough.

So concentrate on learning and improving, and turn this into a habit that you implement whenever you study .

22. Get organized.

Procrastination is common among students who are disorganized.

When you can’t remember which assignment is due when or which tests you have coming up, you’ll naturally feel confused. You’ll experience school- and test-related stress .

This, in turn, will lead to procrastination.

That’s why it’s crucial that you get organized. Here are some tips for doing this:

• Don’t rely on your memory ; write everything down
• Keep a to-do list
• Use a student planner
• Use a calendar and take note of important dates like exams, project due dates, school holidays , birthdays, and family events
• At the end of each day, plan for the following day
• Use one binder or folder for each subject or course
• Do weekly filing of your loose papers, notes, and old homework
• Throw away all the papers and notes you no longer need

23. Stop saying “I have to” and start saying “I choose to.”

When you say things like “I have to write my essay” or “I have to finish my science assignment,” you’ll probably feel annoyed. You might be tempted to complain about your teachers or your school .

What’s the alternative?

To use the phrase “I choose to.”

The truth is, you don’t “have” to do anything.

You can choose not to write your essay; you’ll just run the risk of failing the class.

You can choose not to do your science assignment; you’ll just need to deal with your angry teacher.

When you say “I choose to do my homework,” you’ll feel empowered. This means you’ll be more motivated to study and to do what you ought to.

24. Clear your desk once a week.

Clutter can be demotivating. It also causes stress , which is often at the root of procrastination.

Hard to believe? Give it a try and see for yourself.

By clearing your desk, you’ll reduce stress and make your workspace more organized.

So set a recurring appointment to organize your workspace once a week for just 10 minutes. You’ll receive huge benefits in the long run!

25. If a task takes two minutes or less to complete, do it now.

This is a principle from David Allen’s bestselling book, Getting Things Done .

You may notice that you tend to procrastinate when many tasks pile up. The way to prevent this from happening is to take care of the small but important tasks as soon as you have time.

Here are some examples of small two-minute tasks that you should do once you have a chance:

• Replying to your project group member’s email
• Picking up anything on the floor that doesn’t belong there
• Asking your parents to sign a consent form
• Filing a graded assignment
• Making a quick phone call
• Writing a checklist
• Sending a text to schedule a meeting
• Making an online purchase that doesn’t require further research

26. Finish one task before starting on the next.

You aren’t being productive when you switch between working on your literature essay, social studies report, and physics problem set – while also intermittently checking your phone.

Research shows that multitasking is less effective than doing one thing at a time. Multitasking may even damage your brain !

When it comes to overcoming procrastination, it’s better to stick with one task all the way through before starting on the next one.

You’ll get a sense of accomplishment when you finish the first assignment, which will give you a boost of inspiration as you move on to the next one.

27. Build your focus gradually.

You can’t win the battle against procrastination overnight; it takes time. This means that you need to build your focus progressively.

If you can only focus for 10 minutes at once, that’s fine. Start with three sessions of 10 minutes a day. After a week, increase it to three sessions of 15 minutes a day, and so on.

As the weeks go by, you’ll become far more focused than when you first started. And you’ll soon see how great that makes you feel.

28. Before you start work, write down three things you’re thankful for.

Gratitude improves your psychological health and increases your mental strength .

These factors are linked to motivation. The more you practice gratitude, the easier it will be to find motivation to do your homework. As such, it’s less likely that you’ll be a serial procrastinator.

Before you get down to work for the day, write down three things you’re thankful for. These could be simple things like good health, fine weather, or a loving family.

You could even do this in a “gratitude journal,” which you can then look back on whenever you need a shot of fresh appreciation for the good things in your life.

Either way, this short exercise will get you in the right mindset to be productive.

29. Get enough sleep.

For most people, this means getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. And teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night to function optimally.

What does sleep have to do with procrastination?

More than you might realize.

It’s almost impossible to feel motivated when you’re tired. And when you’re low on energy, your willpower is depleted too.

That’s why you give in to the temptation of Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube videos more easily when you’re sleep-deprived.

Here are ways to get more sleep , and sleep better too:

• Create a bedtime routine
• Go to sleep at around the same time every night
• Set a daily alarm as a reminder to go to bed
• Exercise regularly (but not within a few hours of bedtime)
• Make your bedroom as dark as possible
• Remove or switch off all electronic devices before bedtime
• Avoid caffeine at least six hours before bedtime
• Use an eye mask and earplugs

30. Schedule appointments with yourself to complete your homework.

These appointments are specific blocks of time reserved for working on a report, assignment, or project. Scheduling appointments is effective because it makes the task more “official,” so you’re more likely to keep the appointment.

For example, you could schedule appointments such as:

• Jan 25 th , 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Math assignment
• Jan 27 th , 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Online research for social studies project
• Jan 28 th , 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm: Write introduction for English essay

Transform homework procrastination into homework motivation

Procrastination is a problem we all face.

But given that you’ve read all the way to here, I know you’re committed to overcoming this problem.

And now that you’re armed with these tips, you have all the tools you need to become more disciplined and focused .

By the way, please don’t feel as if you need to implement all the tips at once, because that would be too overwhelming.

Instead, I recommend that you focus on just a couple of tips a week, and make gradual progress. No rush!

Over time, you’ll realize that your habit of procrastination has been replaced by the habit of getting things done.

Now’s the time to get started on that process of transformation. 🙂

Like this article? Please share it with your friends.

Images: Student and books , Homework , Group of students , Consequences , Why , Writing a list , Organized desk , Gratitude

January 19, 2016 at 11:53 am

Ur tips are rlly helpful. Thnkyou ! 🙂

January 19, 2016 at 1:43 pm

You’re welcome 🙂

August 29, 2018 at 11:21 am

Thanks very much

February 19, 2019 at 1:38 pm

The funny thing is while I was reading the first few steps of this article I was procrastinating on my homework….

November 12, 2019 at 12:44 pm

same here! but now I actually want to get my stuff done… huh

December 4, 2022 at 11:35 pm

May 30, 2023 at 6:26 am

October 25, 2023 at 11:35 am

fr tho i totally was but now I’m actually going to get started haha

June 6, 2020 at 6:04 am

I love your articles

January 21, 2016 at 7:07 pm

Thanks soo much. It’s almost like you could read my mind- when I felt so overwhelmed with the workload heap I had created for myself by procrastination, I know feel very motivated to tackle it out completely and replace that bad habit with the wonderful tips mentioned here! 🙂

January 21, 2016 at 8:04 pm

I’m glad to help 🙂

January 25, 2016 at 3:09 pm

You have shared great tips here. I especially like the point “Write down why you want to complete the task” because it is helpful to make us more motivated when we are clear about our goals

January 25, 2016 at 4:51 pm

Glad that you found the tips useful, John!

January 29, 2016 at 1:22 am

Thank you very much for your wonderful tips!!! ☺☺☺

January 29, 2016 at 10:41 am

It’s my joy to help, Kabir 🙂

February 3, 2016 at 12:57 pm

Always love your articles. Keep them up 🙂

February 3, 2016 at 1:21 pm

Thanks, Matthew 🙂

February 4, 2016 at 1:40 pm

There are quite a lot of things that you need to do in order to come out with flying colors while studying in a university away from your homeland. Procrastinating on homework is one of the major mistakes committed by students and these tips will help you to avoid them all and make yourself more efficient during your student life.

February 4, 2016 at 1:58 pm

Completely agreed, Leong Siew.

October 5, 2018 at 12:52 am

Wow! thank you very much, I love it .

November 2, 2018 at 10:45 am

You are helping me a lot.. thank you very much….😊

November 6, 2018 at 5:19 pm

I’m procrastinating by reading this

November 29, 2018 at 10:21 am

January 8, 2021 at 3:38 am

March 3, 2019 at 9:12 am

Daniel, your amazing information and advice, has been very useful! Please keep up your excellent work!

April 12, 2019 at 11:12 am

We should stop procrastinating.

September 28, 2019 at 5:19 pm

Thank you so much for the tips:) i’ve been procrastinating since i started high schools and my grades were really bad “F” but the tips have made me a straight A student again.

January 23, 2020 at 7:43 pm

Thanks for the tips, Daniel! They’re really useful! 😁

April 10, 2020 at 2:15 pm

I have always stood first in my class. But procrastination has always been a very bad habit of mine which is why I lost marks for late submission .As an excuse for finding motivation for studying I would spend hours on the phone and I would eventually procrastinate. So I tried your tips and tricks today and they really worked.i am so glad and thankful for your help. 🇮🇳Love from India🇮🇳

April 15, 2020 at 11:16 am

Well I’m gonna give this a shot it looks and sounds very helpful thank you guys I really needed this

April 16, 2020 at 9:48 pm

Daniel, your amazing information and advice, has been very useful! keep up your excellent work! May you give more useful content to us.

May 6, 2020 at 5:03 pm

nice article thanks for your sharing.

May 20, 2020 at 4:49 am

Thank you so much this helped me so much but I was wondering about like what if you just like being lazy and stuff and don’t feel like doing anything and you don’t want to tell anyone because you might annoy them and you just don’t want to add your problems and put another burden on theirs

July 12, 2020 at 1:55 am

I’ve read many short procrastination tip articles and always thought they were stupid or overlooking the actual problem. ‘do this and this’ or that and that, and I sit there thinking I CAN’T. This article had some nice original tips that I actually followed and really did make me feel a bit better. Cheers, diving into what will probably be a 3 hour case study.

August 22, 2020 at 10:14 pm

Nicely explain each tips and those are practical thanks for sharing. Dr.Achyut More

November 11, 2020 at 12:34 pm

Thanks a lot! It was very helpful!

November 15, 2020 at 9:11 am

I keep catching myself procrastinating today. I started reading this yesterday, but then I realized I was procrastinating, so I stopped to finish it today. Thank you for all the great tips.

November 30, 2020 at 5:15 pm

Woow this is so great. Thanks so much Daniel

December 3, 2020 at 3:13 am

These tips were very helpful!

December 18, 2020 at 11:54 am

Procrastination is a major problem of mine, and this, this is very helpful. It is very motivational, now I think I can complete my work.

December 28, 2020 at 2:44 pm

Daniel Wong: When you’re doing your homework, is your super-comfortable bed just two steps away? Me: Nope, my super-comfortable bed is one step away. (But I seriously can’t study anywhere else. If I go to the dining table, my mum would be right in front of me talking loudly on the phone with colleagues and other rooms is an absolute no. My mum doesn’t allow me to go outside. Please give me some suggestions. )

September 19, 2022 at 12:14 pm

I would try and find some noise cancelling headphones to play some classical music or get some earbuds to ignore you mum lol

March 1, 2021 at 5:46 pm

Thank you very much. I highly appreciate it.

May 12, 2023 at 3:38 am

This is great advice. My little niece is now six years old and I like to use those nice cheap child friendly workbooks with her. This is done in order to help her to learn things completely on her own. I however prefer to test her on her own knowledge however. After a rather quick demonstration in the lesson I then tend to give her two simple questions to start off with. And it works a treat. Seriously. I love it. She loves it. The exam questions are for her to answer on her own on a notepad. If she can, she will receive a gold medal and a box of sweets. If not she only gets a plastic toy. We do this all the time to help her understand. Once a week we spend up to thirty minutes in a math lesson on this technique for recalling the basic facts. I have had a lot of great success with this new age technique. So I’m going to carry on with it for now.

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Global Cognition

7 ways to improve your motivation to study (backed by science).

by Winston Sieck updated September 18, 2021

Just about everyone who has ever been in school knows what it feels like to sit in front of the computer, staring at a blank screen. Hoping their term paper would write itself.

Or tried reading a textbook only to find that they have read the same paragraph ten times and still don’t know what they read.

Or decided they would rather clean the clutter out from under their bed than study in the first place.

Bottom line, studying can be kind of a drag. When you have a hundred other things you would rather do and an overwhelming amount of work to do, it is hard to get started and even harder to finish.

Fortunately, there are some simple, scientifically proven ways you can find your motivation and keep it.

What is Motivation to Study?

Motivation comes from a Latin word that literally means “to move.” But what causes someone to be motivated to study has been a hot topic in the world of science.

Researchers believe that your motivation to study can either come from inside you or outside of you. You can be motivated by an internal drive to learn as much possible. Or, you might be motivated to study by an external reward like a good grade, or a great job, or someone promising you a car.

Recently, researchers have discovered that your motivation to study is rooted in lots of factors, many of which we have control over. Rory Lazowski of James Madison University and Chris Hulleman of the University of Virginia analyzed more than 70 studies into what motivates students in schools. They published their paper , “Motivation Interventions in Education: A Meta-Analytic Review, in the journal Review of Educational Research .

Lazowski and Hulleman found that a number of ways to improve motivation consistently yield positive results. Here, I describe seven of the techniques that you can most readily use on your own to power through your own study barriers, and move your learning forward.

1. Set Clear Goals

You may think to yourself, “My goal is to graduate and get a good job and be rich.” While that’s a fine ambition, by itself it probably won’t help you in school day-to-day.

In order to improve your motivation to study, your goals have to be a little closer to home. In fact, setting clear academic goals has been scientifically linked to higher grade point averages than students who set vague goals, like, “I’ll just do the best I can.”

Set a goal to earn an “A” on a particular test in a particular subject. Or, decide to learn everything you can about a concept because it will help you in the real world. Set a deadline for homework that will force you to finish a task before it is due so you can review it before handing it in. Whatever the goal is, be sure it is specific, relevant, and timely.

2. Don’t Just Shoot For Performance, Go For Mastery

There is nothing more frustrating than studying hard for a test only to get a grade that is less than what you were expecting. At that point, lots of students throw their hands in the air and say, “If this is what happens when I study, why study?”

Resist that urge.

The grades you receive on a test are examples of performance goals. If you set a goal to get an “A”, and stop there, you may only study the things that you think will be on the test, but not necessarily the things that will give you mastery of the concept.

Students who consistently strive for mastery , really learning what they are studying, almost always see their grades improve as a result.

Mastery goals also help with your motivation to study. If you want to learn everything there is to know, you are less likely to put off starting that process.

3. Take Responsibility for Your Learning

It’s tempting to blame your grades on other people. The teacher doesn’t like you. They never taught what you were tested on. Your homework assignment doesn’t apply. When you blame others for your performance, you are more likely to do poorly on tests, assignments and projects.

Taking responsibility for your own learning can make a world of difference when it comes to getting yourself motivated to study. Recognizing that you are in charge of what you learn can help you start studying, but it can also keep you going when other distractions threaten to take your attention away.

Next time you are tempted to stop in the middle of an assignment and do something else, pause. Take a breath. Then, say out loud, “No one is going to learn this for me.” You might be surprised at how hearing those words affect your focus.

4. Adopt a Growth Mindset

Some people still believe that you’re either born smart (or not). And there’s not much you can do about it. However, research has shown that successful people tend to believe that intelligence is something you build up over your life. These folks have a growth mindset.

When your intelligence is challenged by hard assignments or difficult concepts, people with a growth mindset tend to think, “I don’t know this yet, but if I work hard, I will learn it.”

Researchers found that believing your brain can get stronger when you tackle hard things not only improves your mastery of what you are learning, it also improves your grades and increases your motivation to study.

The next time you are faced by a blank screen or hard textbook chapter remember, “I don’t know this yet, but if I work hard, I will learn it.”

5. Find the Relevance

If you ever want to annoy your math teacher, tell them algebra has no relevance in the real world. Alternatively, try to figure out how what you are studying relates to your life. Studies have shown that high school students who were asked to write down how their subject matter related to their everyday life saw a significant jump in their GPA.

Before you start studying, try jotting down a few ways this information will come in handy in the future. Making this connection will help you see value in what you are doing and get you started on an assignment or topic.

Sometimes, the connection between what you are learning and how it applies to your life is not easy to see. Try searching the web for applications of your topic to help you see the real-life relevance of what you are learning.

6. Imagine Your Future Self

Imagine what your life will be like in 10 years. Are you successful? Do you have a great career that you love? Are you living in the best city in the world?

Now, imagine how you are going to get there.

Some people automatically connect the school work they are doing now with getting into a good college or training program that will lead to their desired future. Other students have difficulty making that connection.

Having the ability to imagine your future self is a skill that has been shown to improve motivation to study. It has also been linked to higher grades, lower cases of truancy and fewer discipline problems in school.

Next time you are faced with a particularly daunting assignment, close your eyes and picture what you want your life to be like. Then, recognize that in order to have the life you want, you have to do the assignment in front of you.

7. Reaffirm Your Personal Values

What do you value most? What are the two or three most important qualities you can possibly develop? Do you strive to be honest in everything you do? Do you value kindness? Is success the most important value in your life?

Taking a few minutes now and again to reaffirm your values by writing in a journal or meditating about them can help you focus your efforts in other areas of your life.

If you value family over everything, your ability to take care of your family will motivate you to study and do well in school. If you value honesty, you will never feel inclined to cheat on a test, but will work hard to study.

Ultimately, finding the motivation to study is less about going on a treasure hunt and more about changing the way you think about learning. Even implementing a few of these seven tips can help you stay focused and keep going.

Image Credit: PublicDomainPictures

Lazowski, R. A., & Hulleman, C. S. (2016). Motivation interventions in education: A meta-analytic review. Review of Educational research , 86(2), 602-640. DOI: 10.3102/0034654315617832

Study Smarter

Build your study skills with thinker academy.

About Winston Sieck

Dr. Winston Sieck is a cognitive psychologist working to advance the development of thinking skills. He is founder and president of Global Cognition, and director of Thinker Academy .

Reader Interactions

October 2, 2018 at 4:59 pm

Thanks for sharing this post. I plan to share it with my students this week. We’re implementing some growth mindset and mindfulness practices this year. This will be a good reinforcement of some of those ideas and will provide some new insight as well. I think it will be well-received. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how open they’ve been to these ideas so far. Thanks again.

October 2, 2018 at 5:24 pm

That’s great, Tony. Excellent to hear the success you’re having with these ideas in your class. Thanks for stopping by..

October 25, 2021 at 12:51 pm

Thanks for posting this . I felt it after reading it and I think that if I prepare it today tomarow will be good . From this I’ll stay motivated .

October 2, 2018 at 6:54 pm

Thank greatly for this post. I’m studying at college at 45yrs ,sometimes want to give up studying but you came along with this great post. Great assurance and encouragement for young and old students alike.

Will have to share with my students as well,

kind regards,

clotilda Claudia Harry Solomon islands.

October 2, 2018 at 7:14 pm

Yep, we all need a little motivation boost at any age. Way to keep learning, Clotilda.

November 16, 2018 at 12:08 am

Thanks for providing a resource for our children to grow in knowledge. Seems that no matter what the age, we all struggle with these issues.

November 17, 2018 at 4:39 pm

No doubt, Michael! Managing motivation is a life-long skill we can teach our kids. Good to see you here – thanks for stopping by..

October 6, 2020 at 4:23 am

Thank you so much for motivating, the point you are mentioned such as set goal and go for mastery, be responsibility for learning, etc. all these points are really very helpful and they are very useful for study thank you so much for sharing

February 3, 2021 at 5:18 am

Thank you! Without following all of these steps, it’s hard to have any significant academic success, I think. It helps me not to lose motivation with step-by-step planning: I divide the global goal into several small short-term goals and achieving even minimal results makes me happy and motivates me to try harder. Of course, there are also bad periods, when I feel exhausted and overwhelmed. But a little rest allows me to get back on track.

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8 Ways To Stay Motivated To Complete Assignments

When you enter college, you get blasted with many responsibilities. Some are new to you, while others are not. The new things can take you a lot of time to learn. One new thing you have to learn and master is assignment writing . Yes, assignments are a big part of college life.

If you haven’t started college yet, you may be thinking that we’re exaggerating things. But, that’s not the case. Learning how to write assignments in college is crucial. Students who don’t learn it take expert help from websites like Grow With Grades (GWG), which isn’t bad, in our opinion.

Taking help occasionally isn’t bad. What’s bad is when you don’t learn how to write assignments throughout your time spent at college. We're writing this blog to stop you from dealing with this problem. This blog will tell you 8 ways to stay motivated to complete assignments.

Let’s start. 

Put An End To Procrastination

The first thing you want to take care of while writing assignments is to end procrastination. It is the number one enemy of a good and productive life. We know you love to sleep whenever you get time. But taking multiple naps throughout the day isn’t a good thing.

Procrastination can also look like using your smartphone, even after knowing that you have assignments to complete. Whatever is causing you to procrastinate, you need to find a solution ASAP.

The thing with procrastination is that it can stop you from completing the simplest of tasks. Consider you get 10 days for completing assignments . You can still not do it if you have a habit of procrastinating. You may not realize it now, but it is a big problem that will stop you from succeeding in life.  

Put Distractions Aside

Often some things lead you to procrastinate. And the most common is a smartphone. Parents reading this blog will agree that smartphones are indeed why they argue with their children. Children these days use smartphones for hours on end because they can do everything using them. From taking notes in class to setting reminders for assignment submission, there is no end to what can be done using smartphones.

When children have access to smartphones from a young age, they’re very likely to develop a habit. And developing a habit of using smartphones is never good because it can stop you from focusing on what’s important and start indulging in timepass activities.

So, from now on, when you’re about to start assignment writing , make sure to keep your smartphone away from you, preferably in the other room. Initially, you may want to use your smartphone every few minutes. But once you develop a habit, not using it will become a habit for you.

Do Extensive Research

You can’t straight away decide to write assignments when the professor asks you to. When you do it, assignment writing becomes boring, which is why you can’t stay motivated. There’s a very simple way you can counter this problem.

The way is by doing extensive research. When you research, you learn many things, and the task does not stay boring at all. Moreover, research is crucial for any assignment because you can’t complete it if you don’t research.

Make sure to search for information from multiple resources. When you do it, you identify any wrong information you might include if you don’t check multiple resources. We recommend you check research papers because they have the most credible information.

Create An Outline

You feel bored and lack motivation when you don’t begin the work. Often starting something is the hardest thing. You’ll realize it when you have to write assignments. Starting them is like a challenge, but you realize writing the other parts becomes fairly easy when you start writing.    

So, what you can do is create an outline for the assignment. Outline means to create the introduction and different headings. When you do it, you put an end to boredom and have a rough idea about what you’ll write. And when you have done some work, you stay motivated to complete the rest.

Reward Yourself

Writing assignments continuously can be tiring. We assure you that no one (even the best writers) can do it.

So, what’s the solution when you’re tight on deadlines?

A very good solution is to start rewarding yourself. The reward can be anything from tasty food to watching funny videos. There is no limitation to what a reward can look like. Whatever makes you appreciate your efforts can be a reward.

You might have seen many people these days intentionally make their lives harder. They do it in the name of evolving through challenges. While it is true that a person grows when they go through challenges, it isn’t a good practice to create them forcefully. We all have to realize how crucial it is to appreciate ourselves.

And occasionally eating your favourite food won’t make you fat. So, stop thinking about it and reward yourself often.    

Take A Walk

The breaks you take when writing assignments aren’t a waste of time. They are meant to refresh your mind and body, which are essential if you want to keep your productivity high. You can either sit idle or take a walk.

Taking a walk is a pretty good habit , as it can refresh your mind. When you walk in nature, your eyes, mind and entire body feels refreshed. If you’re looking to lose fat, walking is a good choice. You don’t necessarily have to run or go to a gym to get in good shape. Brisk walking can burn a lot of calories, and it is the perfect choice for people with busy schedules.

Ask Your Friends What You Don’t Understand

It is common for students in college not to know everything about all the subjects. It could be because they are interested in a specific subject or just don’t have enough time to become good at everything. When this happens, students can ask their friends to teach them what they don’t know.

We feel asking your college friends about topics you don’t understand is a very good thing. You can’t always approach your professor and ask them about your doubts. Well, you can, but most students are not comfortable doing it. If you are or want to learn how to be your professor’s favourite student, we recommend you read this blog .

Anyways, when you take help from your friends, you don’t have to speak in a formal tone, as you would with your professors. Another benefit is that your relation with your friends will strengthen. You never know which friends can become your best friends, and you may end up staying in touch with them for many years.  

Know The Negative Consequences

For some students, positive things don’t work. They have to think about the negative consequences to get motivation. In college, it means they have to think that they can fail if they don’t complete and submit their assignments on time.

Many people crumble under pressure, but some love working under it. Many athletes deal with pressure when the race is about to start. But whenever any news reporter asks them how they’re feeling, they always reply that they’re excited. That’s because the same part of your brain works when you’re under pressure and excited.

So, if thinking about negative consequences motivates you to take action and complete assignments, resort to it.

Staying motivated while writing assignments is difficult because there are some challenges that one is presented with. If you also lose motivation easily while doing assignments, you need to read this blog. That’s because, in this blog, we covered 8 ways to stay motivated to complete assignments. After reading this blog, we hope that you won’t have trouble finding motivation.

If you liked reading it, share it with your college friends.

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How to Motivate Yourself to Do Homework

How to Get Motivated to Do Schoolwork to Achieve Stellar Results

To motivate yourself to do homework, set clear, achievable goals, create a distraction-free study space, and establish a regular routine. Use a timer for focused work sessions, reward yourself after completing tasks, and maintain a positive mindset. Remember to take care of your health and seek help if needed.

• Make a Plan: Break tasks into chunks, set realistic goals.
• Seek Help: Find a mentor or use assignment services.
• Set Small Goals: Break homework into smaller, manageable objectives.
• Stay Organized: Keep workspace tidy and schedule organized.
• Take Breaks: Regular breaks to recharge.
• Give Rewards: Treat yourself for completing tasks.
• Stay Positive: Maintain an optimistic mindset.
• Get Specialized Help: Seek assistance for challenging subjects.
• Hang Out With Like-Minded Peers: Surround yourself with motivated friends.
• Eat Nutritiously: Maintain a balanced diet for focus and energy.

Are you wondering how to motivate yourself to do homework? Transform your study routine with actionable tips like staying organized, taking breaks, making a plan, etc. Read this article to help you foster focus and productivity.

Gain insight on tackling assignments and confidently turning your challenges into triumphs. Find out how to embrace the power of positive habits and witness your motivation soar. Let's break the cycle of boredom and ignite your passion for learning.

Instead of letting deadlines overwhelm you, let's turn them into milestones. With our proven methods, you can easily elevate your academic journey and conquer schoolwork. 

Motivation to Do Homework: Learn Why It Matters

Finding motivation for homework can sometimes feel impossible, especially when you're tired and overwhelmed with many responsibilities. But homework was not given by your teachers or professors as a form of torture.

It's a vital element in your academic journey, and staying motivated is the compass guiding the way to complete them. Consider motivation as the fuel propelling you through your seemingly impossible tasks.

Maintaining inspiration is crucial because it transforms routine assignments into valuable learning opportunities.

When you enthusiastically approach your homework, the benefits extend beyond completion—it fosters a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Embrace motivation as a tool for getting things done and fostering a positive and productive mindset. In the academic realm, staying inspired is the key to unlocking the doors to knowledge and answering the question of how to get motivated to do schoolwork.

Make a Plan to Help Jump-start Everything

Every student knows the feeling of being overwhelmed by homework. Sometimes, students can't help but scratch their heads, wondering how to get motivated to do schoolwork. It is indeed easy to drag your feet and procrastinate. The secret to conquering that mountain of assignments?

Make a plan! Start by breaking tasks into manageable chunks and set realistic goals. The key is finding what inspires you—a cozy study spot, a reward system, or a study playlist. Having a plan helps organize your workload and gives you a roadmap to success.

So, take a deep breath, make that plan, and watch as motivation for homework becomes your trusty sidekick on your academic journey! 

Seek Help and Find a Mentor

When wondering how to get motivated to do homework, seeking help and finding a mentor becomes a game-changer. The benefits are profound, whether it's reaching out to an alumna, a high-achieving peer, or even considering a professional online "do my assignment" service.

A mentor provides guidance, shares insights, and instills motivation by offering a fresh perspective. Alumnae brings real-world experience which may help you understand. Your peers offer relatability and can also help explain concepts.

Finally, assignment services provide expert support to ensure you can beat your deadlines.

Guidance not only eases your academic load but also fosters a collaborative spirit. Seeking help makes your assignments less daunting. Instead of feeling as if you're drowning in tasks, your mind becomes more prepared for learning and growth.

Break Things Down and Set Small Goals for Homework Assignments

When wondering how to force yourself to do homework, the secret lies in breaking homework assignments down into smaller chunks. Transform your daunting mountain of tasks into manageable molehills. Start with bite-sized objectives that feel achievable, gradually building momentum.

It's like turning homework into a series of mini-victories, making your workload more digestible. Small goals and specific tasks not only boost motivation but also promote a sense of accomplishment.

So, rather than overwhelming yourself, slice your assignments into manageable portions and check your to-do list.

Then, watch as each completed task propels you forward. It's a strategy that helps you stop procrastinating and makes you spend time working on relevant current and future assignments.

Stay Organized to Help You Crush Those Goals

Are you curious how to get motivation to do homework? The answer lies in staying organized to help you crush your goals. Picture your workspace as a battleground—clutter is the enemy, and order is your ally. It's challenging to stay focused amid chaos.

Studies show that a tidy environment fosters mental clarity. So, organize your tasks, create a schedule, and tidy up your space. As you conquer the clutter, you'll find motivation thriving. A well-ordered work area reflects a well-ordered mind, making your homework journey smoother and the path to your goals clearer.

Get organized and watch your motivation, propelling you to academic excellence! And start expecting good grades, and not just in your favorite subject.

Take Breaks to Help You Recharge and Achieve Homework Fun

Wondering how to get motivated for homework? Embrace the power of breaks to help you recharge and do my homework . Picture your brilliant mind as a battery! Continuous work drains your brain of energy needed for motivation.

Breaks act as the charger, replenishing your mental reserves. It's not about procrastination. Instead, think of these planned breaks as strategic rejuvenation. Step away, stretch, take a walk, or indulge in a quick hobby. Spend some time alone and rest for a few hours.

You'll find renewed focus and energy as you return, making your assignments more sustainable.

Strategic breaks aren't like other distractions.

In fact, they are essential tools for maintaining motivation. So, intersperse your study sessions with short breaks and witness how recharging catalyzes academic success. 

Give Yourself Rewards

Are you thinking how to motivate yourself to do school work, especially when feeling sluggish and tired? The answer lies in giving yourself rewards when hitting milestones. Consider it a pat on your back for a job well done.

Rewards don't have to be grand. Even simple treats can work wonders! When you associate completing tasks with positive reinforcement, it creates a sense of accomplishment. This becomes a powerful motivator, especially during slumps.

Whether it's a brief break, a favorite snack, or a small celebration, these rewards are energy boosts. They will help you inject enthusiasm into your schoolwork grind. Whether you're working on social studies, classical music, or any focused course, there are many reasons why a reward in the first place will make any assignment progress much faster.

Celebrate your victories, big or small. With each celebration, watch motivation become your constant companion. 

Stay Positive and Optimistic

Maintaining an optimistic mindset is the cornerstone of tackling any challenge, including homework. Want to figure out how to stay motivated to do homework?

It starts with cultivating a positive outlook. Embrace each of your assignments as an opportunity to learn and grow. Positivity breeds motivation! When faced with difficulties, view them as stepping stones, not stumbling blocks.

Surround yourself with an optimistic atmosphere—whether it's a neat study space or the support of encouraging friends.

Celebrate small victories and approach each task believing you can conquer it. Positivity makes the homework journey more enjoyable and transforms obstacles into opportunities for success. 

Get Specialized Help When You Need It

Pondering how to be motivated to do homework, especially when facing challenging subjects like math problems or drafting an English essay?

The key is getting specialized help when you need it. College encompasses a spectrum of subjects, from English and humanities to math and statistics.

Seeking math homework help for calculus or essay assistance from experts isn't a sign of weakness. You can think of this as a strategic move. Recognizing when to ask for specialized support is a strength. It alleviates your struggles and fosters a proactive approach to learning.

So, don't hesitate to reach out when faced with academic hurdles.

Specialized help ensures you conquer the complexities and stay motivated on your educational journey. 

Hang Out With Like-Minded Peers

If you're figuring out how to get motivation to do school work, one of the answers could be in the company you keep. Imagine being with friends who party hard and ditch deadlines. Uh-oh, that spells trouble!

Instead, surround yourself with like-minded peers who share your academic goals and enthusiasm. Studying with friends who are equally driven creates a supportive environment that fuels motivation. Exchange ideas and share strategies for work-life balance.

Celebrate your successes together. The collective energy of a group with a common purpose can be contagious, making your academic journey more enjoyable.

When you're in the company of peers who are passionate about learning, the motivation to excel becomes a shared experience, propelling everyone toward success. 

Fuel Your Brain and Body with Nutritious Food 

Listen up! Eat well to stay motivated. Why does your diet play an important role in how to make yourself do homework? What you fuel your brain and body matters!

A balanced diet is the secret weapon for sustained focus and energy. Incorporate brain-boosting foods like fruits, nuts, and whole grains into your meals. Skipping meals leads to fatigue, affecting your concentration.

By nourishing your body, you're investing in your academic success. So, make your plate a palette of productivity. Then, watch how your well-fed body becomes the foundation for a motivated mind. 

Students Tend to Forget Water Intake - Will You?

Hydration is critical when figuring out how to get motivation for homework. Dehydration can significantly impact concentration and focus, putting you in a study slump.

So, as a busy student, it's vital to stay hydrated. Water is not just a refreshing beverage to quench thirst. It's also an amazing cognitive enhancer. Many studies show that even mild dehydration can lead to reduced cognitive performance.

Therefore, keep your water bottle within arm's reach while tackling assignments. And drink before you feel thirsty because you're already mildly dehydrated by then. Water helps with mental sharpness. A well-hydrated brain is focused and ready to take on the challenges of homework. 

Use an Inspiring Music Playlist

Fill your study area with an inspiring music playlist—especially if you're wondering how to become motivated to do school work or contemplating how to do my assignment excellently. Music has a magical quality that can ignite motivation.

Create a playlist filled with fave tunes that uplift your spirits and set the tone for productivity. The right soundtrack can turn mundane tasks into engaging activities.

Whether you need a boost to start your assignments or a rhythm to carry you through to ace a test, music is a powerful ally.

So, put on those headphones, hit play, and let the motivational beats become the backdrop to your academic triumphs. 

How to Get Motivation for Homework - FAQs

How to get motivated to do school work .

Do you wish to unlock how to be motivated to do schoolwork? Think of this as like finding the perfect rhythm for a dance. Start small—break tasks into manageable steps. Surround yourself with a supportive study environment.

Use inspiring music as your soundtrack. Stay positive and celebrate victories. Your academic journey is a dance of determination. 

What can I do when I have no motivation to do homework? 

Feeling the homework blues? When you have no motivation to do homework, start small—break your tasks into bite-sized chunks. Change your scenery, create a dedicated study space, and consider incorporating inspiring music.

Seek support from mentors. Remember, every small effort counts, turning your homework struggle into achievable victories.

Where to find motivation in a few hours for schoolwork when I'm lazy?  

Curious how to do homework when you don't want to? Your journey from laziness to productivity is manageable by breaking tasks into small steps.

Then, create a motivating study environment and consider help. For example, seeking physics homework help or essay writing assistance from professionals when needed.

Every small effort counts because you'll find inspiration in every completed task. 

Is seeking professional help online acceptable? 

Absolutely! When figuring out how to get the motivation to do homework, seeking professional help online is a smart move. Online assistance provides valuable support, guidance, and resources, empowering you to tackle assignments confidently. It's a proactive step towards academic success in the digital age.

If I seek online help, how much will I pay? 

The cost of online help varies based on subject, complexity, and deadline, but consider it an investment in your academic success when exploring how to motivate to do homework. Our platform offers flexible pricing, ensuring accessibility to resources and assistance tailored to your needs and budget. 

Where can I find homework help? 

When wondering how to get yourself to do homework, remember that you're in the digital age and finding homework help is a click away. Explore our online platform for personalized assistance. We provide valuable support, making your homework journey more manageable and efficient. 

Is an online assignment platform legal?

Yes, seeking Python homework help , essay writing assistance, or any other service from an online assignment platform like ours is legal. We are a legitimate resource that aligns with the quest to answer how to get motivated for school work, providing valuable assistance and support to enhance your learning experience.

Tips for Staying Motivated Ahead of College

Learn about yourself and your options., 1. prioritize assignments.

The key to success in school is staying focused on your coursework. Make a list to get an overall picture of your workload before you start to tackle any of it. Then, make a plan.

It's best to prioritize your more challenging and time-consuming assignments. Although it’s tempting to work on the simplest tasks first, you'll be able to manage your schedule better if you start with the ones that take more time and effort to accomplish.

To determine what your priorities are, rank your assignments in order of importance. Then, rearrange your time and devote more energy toward those assignments that have the greatest impact on your overall coursework and your grades. For more involved projects, you'll need to plot out work time over several weeks.

For example, even though all homework assignments are important, studying for a midterm exam takes priority over writing a paragraph for English class. As you complete each task, think of it as another step on your way to success in college.

However, don't let a task fall through the cracks just because it seems "less important." Remember that all assignments must be completed regardless of the impact on your grades.

By tackling your more difficult and time-consuming studies first, you’ll find yourself feeling more motivated to complete the easier assignments that lie ahead. Think of it as descending from the peak of a mountain rather than struggling to scale one.

2. Set Attainable Goals in Smaller Chunks

If you're having trouble writing a 25-page paper for class because it seems like such a big task, stop focusing on that final page count. Break the paper down into its subsections, and focus on each one individually.

It’s much easier to stay motivated and stop procrastinating by setting goals in smaller, more attainable chunks. It’s also a lot easier on your mental health.

3. Create New Challenges

Changing your approach can help you stay interested in what you’re doing. Some high school assignments tend to feel formulaic after a while, and you may end up feeling like you’re just going through the motions. This can cause you to feel demotivated and drained. Change things up to challenge yourself.

For example, if last semester you wrote a narrative piece in your creative writing class, maybe try writing a poem this time. If you wrote a book report on a biography last time around, try picking another subject you haven’t tackled, such as history.

If your eyes are hurting from staring at your math textbook all night, go online and try to find videos from lively instructors who take another approach to solving math problems.

4. Find a Social Support Network

You are surrounded by people who want to see you succeed, so don’t be afraid to ask for help! Mentors can be teachers, family friends, or even your school counselors. They are there to help you reach your goals and can help you create a study plan that works for you.

Try reaching out to your friends and peers in school as well, and see if you can all bring together a focused study group. Sometimes, it can even be healthy to vent your frustrations to others as a way of clearing your head.

5. Acknowledge Your Accomplishments

Praising yourself for the things you’ve accomplished is a great way to spark motivation. Give yourself a quick reward when you complete an assignment or task. Perhaps you can turn your phone off and only turn it back on once you’ve completed your work. Or reward yourself by taking a walk or getting a snack—whatever works for you. Then move on to the next project.

How can I make studying fun?

There are many ways to make studying fun. For one, you can reward yourself every time you attain a study goal. Did you memorize all of your biology notecards? Time for a slice of pizza. Did you finally hammer down that complicated math equation? Call your friend to talk about it and celebrate.

Probably the most fun way to study is by forming a study group with your friends and classmates. You can bounce ideas off each other and help each other better understand concepts. But be warned: This can be a double-edged sword. If your group doesn’t create a focused and concrete plan for the study session beforehand, you may end up procrastinating more than studying.

How can I stay motivated to complete homework?

Break down your study goals into smaller, more attainable chunks. Instead of panicking over the final page count for a long essay, take on each subtopic in the essay individually, and overcome them one by one.

Another way to stay motivated to complete your homework is to tie a carrot to the end of the stick, so to speak. For example, you can tell yourself, “Once I finish this assignment, and only when I’ve finished this assignment, I can hang out with my friends or play video games.”

Of course, you can also motivate yourself to complete your homework by thinking about how your accomplishment will positively benefit your future. You can think along the lines of, “If I stop procrastinating on this homework assignment and finish it now, I’ll get a better grade in class. If I get a better grade in class, my overall GPA will be higher, and I will look better on my college applications!”

Why do students lose interest in high school?

Students tend to lose interest and motivation in high school for many reasons, including feeling that they're not in a supportive environment, feeling that they’re just going through the motions, or simply feeling burnt out from everything they're doing in their busy lives.

The best way to combat all these negative emotions is to re-spark your love of learning and your motivation to do well. Refer to our five tips for staying motivated in high school when you need help fighting back against discouraging feelings.

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How to Motivate Yourself to Do Homework

We all know the drill: homework can be a real drag sometimes. It’s tough staring down a mountain of assignments and not knowing where to even start. And let’s not even talk about those last minute all-nighters just to hit ‘submit’ right before class starts.

Feeling stuck and uninspired to do your homework? Get scrolling for quick and easy strategies to motivate yourself to do homework!

Looking for more student productivity tips? Subscribe to The Flow — our free quick, snappy, value-packed focus and recharge newsletter:

• First Name First

1. Break It Down

If your to-do list seems too large, try breaking it down into smaller, more manageable chunks.

Have 10 chapters of your textbook to read? Try reading the first paragraph only. Need to write a 1000-word paper? Start by writing the first sentence. Treat each chunk as a mini-goal that can be easily achieved. Soon enough, you’ll be surprised by how much work you’re able to accomplish already, and the momentum will keep you going.

Looking for a way to stay on top of your workload? Here are some of the best Notion assignment trackers to help you out.

2. Develop Routine & Structure

When motivation fails, discipline takes over. By making doing homework a habit, it’s easier to jump back into your study routine and get your tasks done. Start by creating a daily schedule that works for you and do your best to stick with it. Make use of digital planners, grade calculators, and assignment trackers to make doing homework streamlined and more efficient.

Check out some of the best Notion templates for students that you can incorporate into your work routine!

3. Elevate Your Study Space with Aesthetic Tools

The right visuals can be game-changers for your work sessions. A captivating background or well-designed tool can make the difference between slogging through your work and truly enjoying it. When your workspace is a feast for the eyes, you’re naturally more inclined to hunker down and get things done.

Whether it’s a Pomodoro timer set against a Parisian café backdrop or a virtual escape to Mount Fuji, aesthetics can turn your study grind into something you actually look forward to.

If you’re on the hunt for a one-stop-shop for all your study aesthetics, give Flocus a try. It’s a free browser-based productivity dashboard with customizable Pomodoro timers, inspiring quotes, and personalized greetings. Flocus brings a bit of romance to your daily grind. For more options, check out our full round-up of aesthetic study websites .

4. Form a Study Group

Sometimes, all we need is that extra push from our classmates who are doing the same thing to keep us motivated to finish our homework. Share your concerns, bounce ideas off each other, and lean on one another for support. That said, forming a strong support group early on in your school life can really make all the difference.

Not in the mood to meet up with friends at the library? Join the Flocus Discord server with thousands of productivity lovers and students to help you stay accountable and motivated.

5. Connect to Your “Why”

If you’re feeling unmotivated while sitting on a pile of math problems, why not try thinking about the bigger picture? Reflect on how mastering this specific topic can contribute to larger goals that you might have. The homework you’re doing might seem insignificant right now, but it’s slowly building the way for future successes in life.

6. Progress over Perfection

One of the main reasons why students usually procrastinate doing homework is the desire to do it perfectly — but this unhealthy need for perfection might be what’s killing your productivity and motivation. If you’ve spent the last three hours trying to curate the perfect plan to do your assignment, you’re probably doing it wrong. Just get started, and let the momentum guide you! You can always come back and improve later on.

7. Look for Inspiration

Reading self help books, watching study vlogs, or listening to podcasts are all effective means to learn how to stay motivated and boost your productivity. Don’t worry, motivation also often comes from the most unexpected places — a random sticky note, an unexpected text message, or a line from your favorite TV show character.

Check out our curated list of the best study motivation movies to get going with a dose of inspiration!

8. Rest When Needed

Knowing you have loads of schoolwork coming is stressful enough. Maximize the long breaks between Pomodoro sessions by grabbing a snack, doing breathing exercises , stretching, or taking a nap. Having a good amount of rest is a part of being productive and staying motivated.

That wraps up some of our best homework motivation strategies! With these techniques at your disposal, we can only hope that those long overdue assignments will become a thing of the past.

Did we miss any strategies to stay motivated while doing homework? Which strategy is your favorite to use? Let us know in the comments below!

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How to find motivation to finish a semester strong.

So you got off to a rough start. It happens to the best of us. But a rough start doesn’t have to be your undoing. If you find yourself partway through the semester wondering how the semester got so out of hand, here are some guidelines to help you turn things around.

How to Find Motivation to Finish a Semester

Get organized.

Once you realize you need to get back on track the First thing you’ll want to do is get organized . Gather the syllabi for all of your classes, plus any other schedules that you need (e.g. your work schedule, or if you play a team sport, the schedule for your games and practices for the rest of the semester). go through each calendar and syllabus and add important dates to your personal calendar. For most students, an app like Google Calendar works well, but others may prefer an actual physical calendar or a planner. Make sure to note all of your exams, deadlines for projects and papers, and due dates for anything else that could affect your grade. Make sure you also include personal events (like birthday parties or other social events you plan to attend) on the calendar, because you need to take these things into account when you plan your studying. Otherwise, you may continue pushing off your studies when fun events pop up.

Set Priorities

Once you have everything in your calendar, your second step is to prioritize . To help you prioritize, we suggest checking your grades in all of your classes. In most cases, you should be able to do this online or by looking back at the grades you received on assignments and exams that have been handed back to you. With an awareness of your grades in mind, you can figure out if you’re struggling equally in all of your classes or if you are only having trouble in one or two.

Determine Your Grades

In addition to your current grade, you also need to consider how much of your grade is already set. Some classes have many of the graded assignments loaded in the second half of the semester, so even though you might be almost halfway through the course, you might still have 70% of your grade left to earn. Other classes heavily weigh midterms or papers due early in the course. If you only have a few assignments left to turn in, you will need to excel on those in order to pull your grade up. additionally, consider the grade that you need (or want) to get in each course. Often, you need better grades in courses that count toward your major than you do for general elective courses. If that is the case, you may need to prioritize the work for your major classes over work for your other classes. It may help to use a grade calculator in order to determine what you need to earn on the remaining assignments to get the grade you want.

Estimate Your Chances to Pass or Fail

Find motivation to finish a semester strong when you got off to a rough start

Now that you have gone through your calendar and syllabi, you should have a good idea of what you need to do going forward. Maybe the situation isn’t as bad as you thought, or perhaps you have found that you are really in dire straits in one or more of your courses. If you find yourself in the second situation, pour yourself another cup of coffee (or crack open another Red Bull) because you have some more things to think about. If you are failing a class and at the moment it seems mathematically impossible to pass or to achieve the grade you need, the first thing you need to do is to thoroughly read through your syllabus. You may notice something you overlooked before – such as a section about extra credit opportunities. If the syllabus doesn’t mention extra credit, it’s time to visit your professor’s office (which should be conveniently listed on your syllabus). You only need to visit the office if you are struggling to figure out how to pass the class on your own. If you know that you just need to study more and party less and it’s well within your ability to succeed in the class, a visit to the office is likely unnecessary.

Discuss Your Grade with Your Professor

Here are some tips for discussing your grade with your professor. Note: A face-to-face visit is preferable, but if you can’t make it during office hours, send an email. Most of the tips below apply to email as well. In addition, make sure you proofread (or have a friend proofread) for clarity and typos :

What if You Have to Face a Worst-Case Scenario?

After you’ve visited your professor, you will know if it’s mathematically possible to pull your grade up and finish the semester strong. If you are certainly going to fail, you could look into withdrawing from the class, which will leave you with a W instead of an F on your transcripts. However, before you do that, you need to talk to the registrar about how that would affect you – some financial aid only goes to full-time students, so withdrawing to less than a full course load could impact your financial aid.

Even if you are nearly positive you’re going to fail, it can be a good idea to keep going to class and giving it your all . It’s possible that if you get close to passing, your professor might have mercy and round up or offer you extra credit. But even if that doesn’t happen, you might have to take the class again in the future, and the best way to pass it next time is to learn everything you can the first time around. After all, you’ve already paid for it!

What if You Don’t?

If it is mathematically possible to get your grades to where they need to be, now you have to actually do the work . If you’ve been slacking and just need to step it up, it’s a good idea to schedule your study time. Mark it out on your calendar and actually stick to it. Go somewhere conducive to studying, like the library or a coffee shop. You might be the type of person who has a hard time focusing without getting distracted by things like social media. If that’s the case, consider trying an app like AppBlock , which blocks certain apps and their accompanying notifications (like those from Instagram and Facebook) for a set period of time so you won’t be tempted to wander. It may also be helpful to structure your studying or writing using the Pomodoro Technique , which basically requires short periods (~25 minutes) of focused work, punctuated by shorter breaks.

Use Pomodoro Technique to concentrate

Reflect on Your Mistakes

You also need to think about how you got here. Ask yourself why your semester got derailed. You might have to do some soul-searching to get to the bottom of it, but this is an important step. If you don’t know why you’re having trouble in the first place, it will be hard to avoid having trouble in the future. You need to address the underlying problem. If there’s something in your life causing you stress, think about how you might mitigate that stress. Are you getting sick a lot and missing classes? That can easily result in falling behind. If that’s the case, try to tweak your lifestyle a little – get more sleep, get some exercise, and eat more fruits and vegetables. If you’re having mental health challenges, talk to a therapist – many colleges offer this service to their students for free or at a reduced cost. If you know you’ve been spending too much time socializing or partying, recognize that you are going to have to cut back so that you can get your degree. Try to deal directly with the problem getting in the way of your academic success to do everything next time to finish the semester strong.

It’s important to have fun in college, but make sure to take the time you need to study.

When you fall behind early in the semester, sometimes it can be hard to catch back up because the material builds on itself gradually. This is especially common in math and science courses – you can’t understand a polymerase chain reaction without first understanding a nucleotide, for example. When you find yourself continuing to have trouble despite increased and consistent studying efforts, it’s wise to ask for help . See if you can join a study group, visit your campus’s Tutoring Center or hire an online tutor , or write down the things that are confusing you and go to your Teaching Assistant’s or professor’s office. Check out more ideas on how to utilize campus and other resources to help you succeed and find motivation to finish the semester.

Just because your semester got off to a rocky start doesn’t mean you have to end it the same way. With some planning and more time hitting the books, you can get your academic life back on track. Good luck!

Crystal Koenig

Crystal Koenig is a freelance writer and adjunct college instructor based in Southern Utah. She holds a PhD from Washington University in St. Louis.

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How to Motivate Yourself When Everything Is Awful

I sort of wish that, before 2020 even dawned, I had already gotten in the habit of timing myself in finishing certain tasks, not because it sounds in any way pleasurable or healthy, but because it would confirm my suspicion that everything takes me thrice as long as it reasonably should these days. Since the pandemic kicked off in March, my sense of time has gone all wavy, and I never know what day it is. Within this disorienting new reality of extreme time blindness , it is hard to motivate myself.

I would probably be more alarmed about this state of being if so many people weren’t right there with me. “Feeling stressed out, fatigue — these kinds of emotional and psychological stressors actually put a lot of strain on the body,” Kimberly Grocher , a psychotherapist and executive coach, tells the Cut. “There’s not a lot of energy to get things done; there’s a lot of anxiety about what is happening and a lot of times, anxiety can be paralyzing.” And that, in turn, leaves a lot of Grocher’s clients struggling to motivate themselves.

This lack of drive manifests in a number of ways, like procrastination, “missing deadlines, not being able to complete tasks,” she says, and “having difficulty focusing or even just getting started.” Another big one: “feeling slightly disoriented, period.” All of these sap people of motivation, but there are steps that can be taken to manage the mental trudge through molasses. Below, we’ve compiled ten tips from experts to help you motivate yourself.

Acknowledge that everything is bananas.

Before you do anything else, let yourself sit with the understanding that “this is not a normal time,” Grocher suggests, “whatever normal is. There are things that are contributing to my feeling this way, and it’s not easy. It’s legitimate.”

The challenging circumstances could, of course, be as evergreen as a breakup, or a move, or a change of jobs. They could also be as extreme and specific as the ones we’re currently living: “The anxiety around dealing with COVID-19 and all the things that means for your life,” Grocher says. “Not even just the illness, but being separated from family and friends ; being home all day; being separated from your social life ; all the different layers. The racial injustice that we’re facing in this country ” and its accompanying trauma . Acknowledge that things are not okay with the world and therefore not with you, either. That doesn’t mean you get to suspend all activities until the situation resolves, but it does mean that you get to operate a little differently than you typically would.

And set aside time to take care of your health.

“It feels like there’s too much going on, and there’s a shared sense of overwhelm,” Annie Lin, founder of New York Life Coaching , tells the Cut. “It is really difficult to concentrate on our own wellbeing” because of the constant, intense action.

“When we are so exhausted, we cannot think straight, we cannot have motivation to do anything healthy,” she adds. “So we want to make sure you have proper sleep, proper nutrition, proper food.” This may sound quite basic — we all know we technically need seven to nine hours of sleep per night, and yet anxiety has a skillful way of intervening — but given that a higher-than-average baseline stress level can take a concrete toll on your health, consider building time for things like grocery shopping; food preparation; actual eating; fitness; and nighttime wind-down routines into your schedule. These kinds of things are crucial to making sure you have energy to get things done, but also easy to scuttle when large deadlines loom.

Plan ahead to minimize “decision fatigue.”

And yes, you should make a schedule ! According to Lin, a large contributing factor in her clients’ sense of overwhelm is “decision fatigue” or the sense of being utterly inundated by a surplus of choices. But planning ahead and establishing a routine closes some of those “open loops,” she says. “The more choices to be made, the harder it becomes for our brains to handle,” Lin says. “In the end, people just let go, like, I don’t care . You repeat what feels easier.”

Lin recommends planning your day the night before: what you’ll eat, what you need to do — at work and in your personal life — “so that you feel that you are somewhat in control.” You might also establish a morning routine or a luxurious little bedtime ritual , Lin explains: “A set of things that you do to nurture yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. The more you automate it, the more it becomes part of your life. You don’t have to make a new decision every day.”

Get up and do something.

If you find yourself doodling absentmindedly in your notebook like a dang teen while you’re supposed to be putting together a time-sensitive presentation, or scrolling through your enormous backlog of cat photos as a deadline hurtles toward you, consider taking a break for physical activity . This could be a short walk, or standing up and doing the dishes, Grocher says; regardless, “get moving.”

“Sometimes, physically changing your body’s position can change your mindset, can change your energy, can change your outlook,” she explains. You don’t need to pause your workday to accommodate an hour-long workout class or DIY spa session . Instead, just try looking away from the obligation and making yourself do another thing in another setting. Even if you are not doing something endorphin-boosting, switching gears for a bit can clear the mental decks.

Change “should” to “could.”

“Should is not the kindest word,” Grocher notes, but it’s one we use a lot: I should go to the professional happy hour, although I really want to sit in the bath and read; I should get up early to work on my story, although what I really want is that extra two hours of sleep. Often, the obligations written in “should” are self-imposed. Grocher suggests swapping in “could,” which “helps you identify, first of all, is this something you really want to be doing? Does this align with your interests, does this align with your priorities?”

And then, if that item does align with your priorities and your interests, the question becomes, Why aren’t you doing it? What’s getting in your way? If getting up two hours earlier means going to bed two hours earlier, but nights are the only time you have to see your partner, then perhaps you need to reconfigure your writing schedule to accommodate both. Once you’ve identified the obstacles, you can take small steps toward removing them.

Break the task down to its parts.

Start chipping away at the intimidatingly large assignment with “small actions,” Grocher recommends. If, for example, you have a large unwieldy article to write, and your brain feels exhausted even by organizing the research you’ve done into an argument, break the assignment down to its parts. Maybe that means “sitting down for 20 minutes and committing to writing an outline,” Grocher says. If, after those 20 minutes have elapsed, “you feel like doing more, once you’ve sat down and got it going, then you can do more,” great for you. “But if that’s all you can get done in that time, you’ve started.” Just do something and behold: progress.

“I’m a big believer in building momentum,” Grocher says. “A lot of times, once we start, once we just take that first step, time, energy, the universe, whatever, kind of finds a way to help us along.” And then, find ways to reward yourself for having done the thing, whether that’s with a physical treat or a social call with a friend or a little cat nap.

Create a support system.

“Some people respond really readily to their internal expectations,” Lin notes, but “the majority of people can use a little bit more support,” someone who will hold them accountable to eviscerating a to-do list, or sticking to a fitness goal, or writing their thesis on time. You could enlist a professional, or — because a hell of a lot of people seem to be struggling to focus right now — you could ask a friend to “do a weekly accountability call” with you, Lin suggests. Tell one another what you want, and/or need, to accomplish in the week ahead, and then clear time for a call or two to gauge your progress and “help each other move forward.”

Focus on what you can control.

One of the more challenging things about this particular moment in time is all the many unknowns each day presents. Of course, the whole thing about the future is that much of it will always be mysterious to us, but in a climate where one’s health and well-being depend in large part on the actions of others, control over one’s life becomes supremely desirable and, unfortunately, elusive. So, Grocher suggests, narrow your focus to the things you know you can control.

“We tend to spend a lot of our time and headspace” worrying about things we cannot control, she explains, and right now, that circle encompasses more areas of our lives than usual. “We don’t know what September is going to look like, we don’t know what October is going to look like.” But we do know what tomorrow looks like, and potentially even the day after that; if you can bring your brain back to the realm and focus on what you can control and plan for now, that may help restore some of your internal order, and alleviate anxiety around the sensation that everything is spiraling and you are powerless to stop it. Focusing on the immediate future, Grocher says, may mean “finding some acceptance with the things that are out of your control. Not agreement, not happiness with, but understanding that there are some things that are going to be out of your control.” And once you have freed up that brain space, it may be easier to move forward with the things you need to do.

Develop a mindfulness practice.

Part of that process of acceptance may be developing a meditation or mindfulness practice, which is to say, a set of exercises or small activities — breath work, for example, if you like the idea of having a cathartic adult tantrum — that help you pay attention to the present. “You can call it mindfulness or you can call it an attitude of inquiry,” Lin explains, but you want to be able to answer the question: “What am I actually feeling, what is going on in my head, how am I relating to the world right now?”

Increasing your awareness of yourself and your needs, Grocher explains, can help you determine a realistic output and “what you need to be pulling in” to achieve it. But also, as Lin notes, situating yourself within the moment may also help you to view yourself as part of a whole, which may be more motivating than considering your day-to-day actions as choices that have consequences only for you. “The more we can embrace and accept that this is our reality,” she explains, and that “nobody chose to go through it,” the more we may understand that each of us has “a responsibility not just to [our] personal wellbeing but also to the collective health.”

Remind yourself why it was important to you to do the thing in the first place.

Grocher recommends keeping a Post-it, a memo, or some kind of physical reminder handy that highlights why a particular task was important to you in the first place. So even when you’re hammering away at something you don’t necessarily want to be doing, you can keep in mind the larger goal you’re working toward, whether that’s finishing your thesis or putting money toward student loans. From a practical standpoint, visualizing the sofa you would like to buy or the debt you’d like to clear may help make the task seem more meaningful and easier to complete.

But also, being able to find “a sense of purpose, even in the chaos, even in the unknown” may help you sustain momentum and energy over time, Lin says. “Connect with your vision or connect with that natural drive of well-being that we all have and we want: We want to become a better or healthier version of ourselves. Connect with that, write about it, visualize it, really embody that kind of aspiration or vision,” she says. “Motivation driven by fear is not long-lasting … try to embark on certain tasks because you are called to do it, because you want to do it, not because you are forced or you are afraid.”

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HOW DO I STAY MOTIVATED TO COMPLETE A ASSIGNMENT ON TIME.

As we all know, it is hard for the students to write for a college assignment, and in particular, a more ambitious, in which the writing is of a more strenuous process. Also, they are very loyal to their work for a number of common challenges to complete their task. The fact is that the students are not able to overcome these problems, but this requires the efficient and effective use of the time, on a regular basis under the guidance of a tutor ,a teacher or a subject expert.

The most important thing that can help you transform your data into a masterpiece of writing style, academic skills, the patience, and the right ways to motivate yourself to work in. So, here are a few tips to help you stay motivated, and to see to it that you complete your tasks in a timely manner.

Be proactive

Motivation is always to teach us all an important lesson, which is to achieve a better result. Regardless of whether you understand it or not, pro-activity it will come naturally. Through the use of an activity-based approach, in which each person is able to reduce the disruption to their lives, to give instructions and to control them in order to complete the academic tasks more quickly than those of their peers of the same age.

Do Plan Before Getting Started

For a moment, imagine that you come to class without a plan for how you are going to spend for it. Wouldn’t that look a bit unproductive? What you can do in order to be pro active and have a greater impact on your life, you should take note of the key priorities of the community each and every day. The most common way to do this is to create a list that may be helpful to add color into your work, and goal. Plan your work according to their priority needs, and to be realistic about it.

Proper communication, and the right guidance

As a teacher, a tutor, a professor, a parent or legal guardian, please contact the adult council of the guides on our journey in the right direction. Those who are seeking the guidance of their supervisor, is always to know that they are not destroyed in their academic careers, and that they are doing poorly in the next term. This is because it has not been possible to prepare for the tasks of the employees, without a guide. That is why it is always recommended to contact executives and professionals who are working in this field. For example, students can also get help from an online writing expert, on a mission of providing high-quality work, and students to focus on their academic responsibilities.

Develop strong communication skills are important for students because it allows them to communicate their ideas in an effective way, at the same time, you’re aware of his or her supervisor’s needs, which will ultimately help them to reach the lucrative contract.

Listen to the Professionals

Just like you, professors, supervisors, or the professionals are always there to help you to get a good grade. Therefore, it is very important that you explain to them that their idea or plan, they have to come up with your projects, and your information is, in fact, in their conception of the world. All you have to do is to listen carefully to their advice, and you agree with them, and what they are going to do will probably be to your advantage.

No matter what conflicts you have had with them in the past, you need to work together in order to successfully realize your academic success. In most cases, you will probably have to listen to your ideas and plans, and to further provide a constructive feedback.

Conclusion: here are a few tips for students that can help them stay motivated to complete assignments ahead of time. Also, if you ever have any difficulties to complete your work, and / or the project, please do not hesitate to contact our online service, writing term papers, expert help and the guidance.

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How to Motivate Yourself to Study?

Having the freedom to do whatever you want to and whenever you want to is liberating. But just as anyone else, we have responsibilities to take care of in our daily lives. Students especially have tons of things that need constant attention and it’s not so easy to juggle everything at once like school work, exams, work, social life, finances, and family.

But we understand priorities and it leads us to put homework and exams at the top of the list, as much as we don’t feel like doing it. So how do we decide whether to binge-watch Game of Thrones or open your textbook and study for your mid-term?

Make a to-do list

Laying out what needs to be done can help you visualize tasks so you don’t get lost among the sea of everything else. Most productivity applications utilize lists to improve organization and productivity in your life. Chaos tends to lead us away from doing things as it’s too much to handle but lists can make our lives easier. Studying requires organization and knowing what to study and when due dates are can increase your motivation to complete more urgent tasks. Once the important tasks are taken care of, the workload continues to get lighter and easier to complete. Crossing off tasks on a list also feels very rewarding.

Treat yourself

Speaking of rewards, they are a great way to incentivize studying. Of course, the goal is to achieve great marks and learn, but those rewards are boring for most students. Setting small goals and small rewards can motivate you to finish studying for your exam so you can watch 1 hour of Game of Thrones, or finish your essay before the weekend so you’ll be able to hit the bars with your friends. Parents usually start rewarding their children at a young age so they develop study habits and understand rewarded behaviors.

Studies show that rewarded behavior is a result of released chemical Dopamine. A naturally occurring chemical in the body, dopamine can solve the questions of how to increase motivation. Dopamine is usually triggered before the reward, during high-stress situations, so that in these situations we make the right choice. But opposite of this, low levels of dopamine create an adverse effect; it actually makes us lazier and less motivated to do anything. Things that contribute to lower dopamine levels are lack of sunlight, bad eating habits and diets, lack of exercise, and even being too relaxed. The human body regulates dopamine and other chemicals but there are several ways that we can increase these chemicals to improve our motivation and productivity.

Ways to Increase Dopamine

Eat Better!

Students are students and will likely take convenience over quality, which leads them to eat processed foods full of junk that actually affect the release of dopamine in your body. Things with saturated fats, empty calories, and non-nutritional foods cause us to be lazier than normal. Ordering that large pizza from Domino’s while studying may not be the move for motivation! Instead, research suggests eating things high in protein like eggs, meat, beans, and nuts. Protein produces chemicals that then produce dopamine. So instead of eating junk food, have some peanuts or other “brain” food to motivate you!

Exercise more often

Studies show that endorphins are increased when you exercise regularly which leads to better moods. Animals that are active are shown to have more dopamine than animals that aren’t. Parkinson’s disease, a disease that has significantly lower dopamine levels, improves with more aerobic exercises, leading researchers to believe that in fact, more exercises increases dopamine levels.

Sleep is good!

Our body naturally regulates chemicals including dopamine. During the mornings, typically our bodies produce dopamine which promotes awareness and awareness, while in the evening, dopamine levels are reduced to help you sleep. Of course, having a sleep schedule that interrupts our bodies’ natural rhythm will also affect our health. Sleep hygiene is important for motivation, as getting up during the day and going to bed at a reasonable time gives us more motivation to do something rather than be lazy.

Go outside!

Sometimes our working busybodies are glued to our computers to work on our thesis or to review powerpoint slides before an exam all day long. Everything you need is inside your apartment, food, a bathroom, and the internet, so you don’t really need to leave. But in fact, avoiding leaving your home can cause negative effects on your productivity. Research shows that during seasons of low sunshine have led to lower levels of dopamine, and it rises back to normality during sunny seasons. Taking a break from studies to have a walk in the sunlight might be more beneficial to you than wrapping yourself inside a blanket all day.

“But, I’m just really tired and don’t want to do anything…” 🙁 

Motivation is half the battle when it comes to studying, but its a very important half. We get it, going to class all day, working all night, and then coming home only to do homework and study is exhausting. So how can students find motivation when tired?

Tiredness comes from many different factors, and as students work very hard they are becoming burnt out, worked until they can’t work anymore. There are study habits that students should do to avoid major burnout and demotivation that also provide better efficiency when studying.

Create a routine

Cramming for a test won’t yield the best results and will actually cause more damage than help. What good students do is create a routine so that the workload is managed evenly and all the work is done. Routines provide organization and stability as well as reduce stress. Knowing to study for 1 hour a day for seven days is better than studying 7 hours the night before an exam. Plus, you can sleep more during the week and especially right before your exam.

Set Goals for yourself

Why are you working so hard and stressing out about your studies? Things simple as “to make my family proud” or “to earn a degree so I can get a good job” are reasons to motivate you to do well. Without a reason or direction, being tired can often eliminate all drive to study and do well in school.

Take breaks!

People who work very hard and for long amounts of time tend to forget that they need to eat or sleep or things like that. Taking short breaks when you start to get tired can combat demotivation and can increase productivity. Remember it is never a bad idea to walk away from a stressful situation just for a bit

If you’re still feeling like you don’t know what to do, Assignment Expert can lighten your load of work so you can focus on more things like your mental health and long-term goals. In fact, assignment expert can help motivate you to do your homework as well. So if you’re lost and you’re reading this, you’re not the only one! Using your resources will help you accomplish more than you can imagine!

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How to Motivate Yourself to Do Something Unpleasant

Last Updated: January 2, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Michael Stern . Michael Stern is a life coach and the owner of Integral Alignment, a coaching and training business focused on a holistic approach to optimizing one's health, work, love, play, and spirituality. Michael began his professional training in 2011 as an Integral Spiritual Mentor through One Spirit Learning Alliance, and has been certified as both a hatha yoga instructor and an Emotional Intelligence Coach through GolemanEI. In addition to his private 1:1 and groupwork, he has hosted workshops with thought leaders such as Frederic Laloux, Charles Eisenstein, and Thomas Hübl. Michael holds a BA in Spanish Language from Vanderbilt University and lives in Portland, Maine. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 21,938 times.

Everyone has tasks that are particularly challenging to tick off the to-do list. Maybe they are boring, they take a long time, or you would simply prefer to be watching your favorite TV show. If you are facing a task that you don’t like, it can be hard to find the motivation to get it done. Learn how to accomplish an unpleasant task by reframing the way you view the task in your mind, finding ways to make it fun, and finally taking that first step.

Reframing the Task

• For instance, maybe you don’t feel like working on an essay due for your college English course. Reframing the task could help you acknowledge that doing it will get you one step closer to finishing the course. Plus, practicing your writing skills will be beneficial in your aspirations to be a journalist.

• Intrinsic motivation comes from feelings of autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Look for ways your task is linked to these three factors. Can you complete the task on your own terms? Will it help you master a skill? Will it help you make purposeful progress towards an end goal you care about?
• Harnessing the power of intrinsic motivation is an especially powerful way to get creative work done.

• “I’ve finished tough projects before, and I can do it again.”
• “I’m not afraid to make mistakes. Making mistakes is part of making progress.”
• “I value my time, so I make getting things done a priority.”

• For example, maybe you loathe having to do the laundry, but your partner actually enjoys it. You can request to swap chores with them and complete an undesirable chore that this person has to do. That way, both of you get your chores done, but you don't have to do one that you particularly hate doing.

• For example, if you are dreading cleaning your room, you might say to yourself, “I am grateful that I have a room to clean. Many people are not as lucky.”
• Or, if you are dreading writing a big paper for a college English class, then you might write out something like, “I am grateful that I have the chance to attend college. There are millions of people around the world who would love to be able to do this.”

Making It Fun

• For instance, you could make plans to go out with your friends after finishing the first draft of your paper, or visit your favorite coffee shop after you finish cleaning the kitchen.

• Pumped up music is basically anything that gets your heart-beating and your body moving. Dance music can provide a source of entertainment and distraction from an unpleasant task. Think along the lines of Kanye West's "Stronger" for lyrics that make you want to get stuff done. Or, try Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off" for a nice, kick-butt confidence boost to complete the task at hand.

• If you’re having trouble finding someone to team up with in real life, consider seeking out an online group for support and accountability.
• Approach a friend and say "Hey, I have to help my dad clean out the garage today. Want to join in? We can put on some tunes and have lunch at the pizzeria?"

• Sharing your goals with other people may also make those goals seem more real and tangible to you, making it easier to get started.
• Post on your social media pages about what you're doing. Say, "I'm giving up sugar for a month. I need to overcome my sugar addiction. Who's with me?" You may even find a buddy online to do the task with you and help hold you accountable.

Making Progress on Your Task

• Try making yourself a cup of tea, lighting a candle, and putting on a favorite movie or TV show, such as Harry Potter or something else that you find comforting. Make sure to choose something that won’t be too distracting, but that will offer you opportunities to look up and take breaks now and then.
• Going to a neighborhood coffee shop may also help to make your task more enjoyable. Order yourself a special drink and choose a cozy table to complete your task.
• Even opening a few windows and putting on some music can help to brighten your environment and make the task seem less daunting.

• For instance, try starting a new exercise routine by taking walks at a park, where you can enjoy the fresh air and the beauty of nature. If you’ve stalled on a creative project, think back to what inspired the project in the first place, and see if you can use that inspiration to re-motivate yourself. [11] X Research source
• If you hate a task through and through, it’s unlikely that you’ll stick with it for long, especially if it’s a recurring task like working out. Instead of trying to force yourself into doing something you can’t stand, look for alternate ways to accomplish the same thing.

• When you’re breaking down a big project, to-do lists can be a helpful tool for sorting and organizing all of your smaller sub-tasks.
• For example, if your task is “Pack the apartment for moving,” you may start by packing your off-season clothing, memorabilia, and décor. Then, you can gradually pack a few things each day to progress towards the overall goal.

• Adjust the Pomodoro technique to your liking. Some people might find that they get better results working in time intervals of 15 minutes or 40 minutes, for instance.

• Trying to get through a task as quickly as possible can actually make you dislike it more. Slow down and you might find it’s not as bad as you thought.
• For example, maybe you have to prep your meals for the week ahead--a long and boring task that you do not look forward to on Sundays. You could add creativity and excitement to this task by finding fun, new recipes to try. Looking forward to cooking something novel may help you get through a long evening of meal preps.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Michael Stern. Life Coach. Expert Interview. 8 July 2020.
• ↑ http://zenhabits.net/how-to-actually-execute-your-to-do-list-or-why-writing-it-down-doesnt-actually-get-it-done/
• ↑ https://zapier.com/blog/stay-motivated-at-work/
• ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/11/mantras-morning-inspiration-affirmation_n_1956296.html
• ↑ https://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/how-to-find-motivation-for-the-things-you-hate-doing/
• ↑ https://psychcentral.com/health/boost-your-motivation-in-6-ways
• ↑ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/conditions/why-does-music-motivate-us/article542629/
• ↑ http://www.keepinspiring.me/8-ways-to-make-yourself-work-when-you-just-dont-want-to/
• ↑ http://dragosroua.com/5-good-reasons-to-share-your-goals-and-one-powerful-reason-not-to/#.V_0G9BZrjIU
• ↑ http://zenhabits.net/the-only-two-secrets-to-motivating-yourself-youll-ever-need/
• ↑ https://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/5-ways-to-stay-motivated-to-finish-what-you-started/
• ↑ http://lifehacker.com/productivity-101-a-primer-to-the-pomodoro-technique-1598992730

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MockQuestions

Behavioral Mock Interview

To help you prepare for your next job interview, here are 31 Behavioral interview questions and answer examples.

Our Behavioral Questions were written by Rachelle Enns and updated on October 25th, 2021. Learn more about this page.

Question 1 of 31

Describe a time when you motivated yourself to complete an assignment or task that you did not feel like doing.

How to answer, what to avoid, human resources example, marketing example, sales example, administration example, retail example, teacher example, manager example.

Community Answers

The interviewer wants to know that you will still get the job done even when you aren't excited about the task at hand. The goal of your response is to show that you are a reliable person who delivers high-quality work, regardless of how motivated you feel at the moment. By the end of your reply, the interviewer should feel confident that you are a self-motivated individual who takes accountability for your work.

Tell the interviewer about a specific situation in which you completed something you didn't feel motivated to do. Outline the situation, describe your responsibility, and explain why you were not excited about it. Be sure to tell the interviewer that even though you were not enthusiastic about the task, you did it promptly and with care, knowing that it would help the organization as a whole. Give as much detail as you can about the actions you took to reach the finish line. If your hard work made a measurable impact, be sure to offer details about this accomplishment.

'Describe a time when...' means that the interviewer is looking for a story-based example for this behavioral-based interview question. This style means forming a response using the STAR method. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Organizing your response using this framework will ensure that you provide the interviewer with the right amount of information and detail to form a compelling answer.

Avoid giving a general answer regarding your level of self-motivation. Stay away from vague statements like, 'I cannot think of a time when I struggled to complete an assignment or task. I am a very self-motivated person who rarely has trouble staying on task.'

"(Situation) My current company receives an incredibly high volume of online job applicants every day. (Task) As the HR assistant, it is my job to review the resumes in our job portal every week. The task can be repetitive, and it takes a lot of care and attention. (Action) I set rewards for myself. Sometimes there will be up to 200 resumes to review. They all begin to look the same over time, so I set a goal to look at 20 at a time, give myself a quick break, and then return to the task. (Result) I do this every week and have been able to get through all the new resumes every week. As a result, no applicants wait more than seven days for a response, which I believe is an excellent business practice."

"(Situation) Part of our project process is to have an initial discovery call with our clients. The call is supposed to take about an hour, but I tend to take up to two hours explaining our process to the clients. I began to dread these calls. (Task) As the marketing manager, I lead these calls. I know that at least 50% of the call is not a good use of time for my team, myself, and my client. We spend so much time explaining our approach and less time talking to the client about their vision for the project. (Action) I decided to have our team create a library of resources for our clients. We would share these digital resources before the initial client call, allowing the client to learn more about our process upfront. (Result) Now, I spend much less call time relaying tactical information and more time getting to the necessary details. These calls are much more enjoyable for everyone now."

"(Situation) At Company ABC, every sales rep must document in the CRM immediately after a client appointment. (Task) As a salesperson, I do not always like filling out the CRM immediately. It's time-consuming, and I often need to get to my next client appointment. Also, I like the call, the chase, the close. Taking time to pause and write out the details of the conversation and projections is not something I look forward to doing because it slows me down. However, I understand that it's a necessary step in the sales process. (Action) To ensure that I am compliant, I now give myself an extra 15 minutes between appointments to ensure that I have the time to document properly. (Result) Not only does this approach keep me on track with my notes, but it has helped me to sell more since I have more up-to-date client analytics. I realize that our CRM is an essential sales tool. It helps me and my company to succeed, even if it takes slowing down and doing a seemingly monotonous task."

"(Situation) Recently, my boss asked me to clean out our huge office supply closet. It was a daunting job. (Task) The 3,000 square foot room had become a dumping ground of junk and random items that we never use. As the admin assistant, I knew it was up to me to put my whole heart into the task to make the lives of my co-workers so much better through the art of organization. (Action) I came to work over the next four days, prepared with comfortable clothes and shoes, and tackled the job. I created a pile for keep, one for recycling, one for donating, and one for the garbage. (Result) In the end, the supply room looked like an office supply store! Everyone appreciated my hard work, and I was glad that I chose to shift my mindset and find the motivation to get the job done with enthusiasm."

"(Situation) As an assistant manager for the clothing department in Department Store X, my least favorite task is cleaning out the dressing rooms and doing take-backs. (Task) However, these tasks are a significant part of what I do and an important part of keeping the store clean and organized. As the assistant manager, I never show my dislike for these particular tasks. (Action) Instead, I incentivize myself and my team to make these tasks fun. I will run little contests for the team. For example, one day, I bought a coffee for the person who organized their section of the store perfectly. (Result) I have been able to change the attitude of my team and department by implementing these incentives. As a result, our store now looks clean, tidy, and organized. The customers appreciate the added effort since it makes their shopping experience much better."

"(Situation) We all know that the report card season is busy and can be overwhelming. (Task) As a junior-high teacher for our city's largest middle school, I have over three hundred students, so it's an enormous task. (Action) I make these report cards personalized, knowing the parents appreciate the added effort. So, it becomes a rather large project. I make sure to break the reports up by class and complete one class per day. (Result) It's not a fancy process, but it works for me. I believe the extra effort is appreciated as I often receive kind emails from the students' parents, thanking me for the added detail on how their kids are performing in class."

"(Situation) In the warehouse where I currently work, our turnover is high due to the strenuous nature of the job. (Task) I manage over 500 warehouse associates and see around a 5% turnover rate month-over-month, which equals about one person per day. This number means a lot of terminations, which I do not enjoy leading. (Action) Although I dread this task, I balance it out by reminding myself that we have a fantastic new employee lined up as a replacement who will perform better and compliment the positive workplace culture. (Result) By changing my mindset, I can better focus on the job at hand, which is leading and growing the associates who want to be there."

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How to Answer: Describe a time when you motivated yourself to complete an assignment or task that you did not feel like doing.

1. describe a time when you motivated yourself to complete an assignment or task that you did not feel like doing..

Written by Rachelle Enns on December 14th, 2021

Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

• Productivity Center

How to Motivate Yourself to Finish Big Tasks

Choncé Maddox

• Business Tips

Thursday, July 25th, 2019

Is your to-do list so long it’s running off the table and down the hall? Having a to-do list and a schedule for tasks can be helpful, so long as you’re doing the work.

Often, we let our to-do list pile up as we procrastinate on certain things. Usually, it’s the toughest, big tasks that get passed over as we take care of the smaller easier things first.

The problem is that when it comes to working, those significant and sometimes mentally challenging can have a considerable effect on your business and lead you to make substantial progress. While being your own boss means you have individual freedoms and flexibility, it also means that you have to buckle down and motivate yourself to finish big tasks.

This can seem overwhelming at first, so consider using these tips to help you get started.

Set a Deadline

Deadlines can be extremely useful when trying to motivate yourself to finish big tasks. If you thrive on deadlines, you’ll feel motivated to get your assignment or project completed by the assigned time. It’s no longer good enough to have tasks on your list.

You need to fill in your calendar with projects and responsibilities by assigning a deadline . Even if you don’t thrive on deadlines, setting one will put some pressure on you to get it done.

Also, be sure to prioritize the deadlines you give yourself as a commitment. Too often, we don’t value the commitments we make to ourselves. Promising to do something for your business is just as important as a commitment that you make to someone else.

View your deadline as firm and just get started even if you don’t have much motivation. It will come.

Break It Up

If a task or project seems too big or overwhelming, break it up so you can complete it over time. This is what I do with very time-consuming projects. For months, I had told myself I was going to work on a project, but I just never got around to it.

I realized I was unintentionally dodging the work because it knew it would be time-consuming and I didn’t think I had the time. After deciding to break the task up, I was able to get it completed in a single weekend.

Start by determining how long it will take you to do the task. Then, break it up into chunks and fill in your calendar. For example, if you think something will take you five hours, break it up into three-time chunks on three separate days and get it done.

Who knows, you may even be able to complete the task quicker than anticipated.

Choose a Reward

Adults can still thrive with a rewards system. You probably had one at your last job, and you may even have one in your business today. In one of my previous jobs, we could earn bonuses if we accomplished certain things.

To motivate yourself to finish big tasks, choose a reward that you’ll obtain once you finish. It always doesn’t have to be a monetary reward.

You can reward yourself by taking an afternoon or morning off. Or, you can treat yourself to a nice meal or catch up with an old friend. When I was setting weight-loss goals for myself, I decided to reward myself with a professional massage when I hit a particular milestone.

Rewards give us something to look forward to once we put in the effort and hard work.

Change Up Your Environment

Sometimes, switching up where and how you can be exciting and motivating. If you usually are working from a desk at home, head to a coffee shop for a few hours, or an outdoor patio.

Surround yourself with other people who are working hard and are motivated. Motivation will rub off on you. I started going to a coworking space , and even though I don’t know most of the people in the office yet, the change of scenery helps me eliminate distractions and stay motivated.

Plus, since I work from home most of the time, I feel I do get too comfortable with my work setting and procrastinate on specific tasks. Working outside of the house for even a few days can help you motivate yourself to finish a big job and move on to the next thing.

Just Get Started

This is one of the simplest ways to jumpstart your motivation . Sometimes, we let our thoughts and mindset psyche use out of working on a project. Maybe we think it’s too hard, too boring, or will take too long.

In reality, those are just thoughts, and you never know until you get started and try. Commit to starting a task and working on it for at least 20-30 minutes. Stay focused during this time and ignore all distractions.

When time is up, you’ll likely have more focus on the project and be willing to continue working on it. Even if you aren’t, you’ll have made progress during the 20-30 minute time streak.

The thing is, once you get started, it’s not too hard to keep going and finish up . You’ll often transition to a state of intense focus, and even if it’s not for long, you’ll get closer to finishing the big project nonetheless. Also, if getting started means doing 10-15 minutes of research and outlining, it’s better than nothing and will push you forward in the right direction.

What do you do to motivate yourself to finish big tasks?

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Choncé Maddox is a professional writer who recently left her job in the web design industry to produce killer content and manage her own writing business full time. She is passionate about helping entrepreneurs be more productive and create a life they love by doing fulfilling work. On the side, she runs a podcast and blogs about getting out of debt at MyDebtEpiphany.com.

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• Undergraduate Students
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7 ways to help your student stay motivated

After a long semester, it can be challenging for many students to stay motivated through finals. Here are a few tips you can use to help your student make it to the finish line. 

1. Evaluate expectations 

Every student wants to do well in college. However, it’s important to remind your student that they may only be able to do the best they can with the resources, time and energy they have. For instance, it may be unrealistic for your student to expect to ace every exam, perfect every presentation or nail every group project. 

Take some time to talk with your student about expectations by asking questions like:  

• Do you think your expectations are realistic? 
• Where might these expectations be coming from? 
• Are your expectations impacting other areas of your life (e.g., mental health, friendships, etc.)? 
• What are the realistic impacts if you don’t ace this test, project, class, etc.? 
• Is this something you will feel strongly about in a week, a month or a year? 
• What might good ‘enough’ look like for you? 
• How might you adjust your expectations to be more adaptable? 
• Do you know where you can go for additional support? 

Asking your student these types of questions can help them reflect on what matters to them. While talking with your student, remember to listen with empathy and validate their feelings. Keep in mind that some students may just want someone to listen to them, while others may want practical help. Ask your student if they are open to advice before offering it. 

2. Change the narrative 

Your student may not realize it, but the way they speak to themselves can help (or hinder) their progress when working through stressful tasks. For instance, they may find themselves saying things like, “Ugh, I need to get through this assignment faster.” 

This type of self-talk can increase stress and create unnecessary pressures for students to perform in a certain way. If you notice your student speaking negatively about their progress, challenge them to change the narrative to see if they can take a gentler approach. For instance, you could encourage them to say something like, “I’ve got this, and I can make time to finish this later.” 

This shift in self-talk can help students practice self-compassion, which can be particularly beneficial to staying motivated. Remind your student that this technique isn’t foolproof. Changing the ways your student speaks to themselves might not always spur them into action, but it can help them be kinder to themselves (and others) in the process.  

3. Avoid ‘stress bragging’ 

Stress feeds off stress, especially when students are gearing up for the end of the semester. During this time, it can become commonplace for students to talk about how little they’re sleeping or how many cups of coffee they need to get through the day, among other sacrifices. This type of comparison is often referred to as ‘stress bragging’ and can negatively impact your student’s mental health (as well as those around them). In many cases, this sets the expectation that in order to be successful, your student must sacrifice a piece of their own well-being. 

Instead of engaging in ‘stress bragging,’ encourage your student to prioritize self-care as part of their study plan and encourage others to do the same. Remind them to listen to their bodies and make sure their basic needs are being met by using the HALT method. 

• H : Am I hungry? 
• A : Am I angry? 
• L : Am I lonely? 
• T : Am I tired? 

If your student answers yes to any of these questions, it’s time for them to address their needs. When basic needs go unmet, it can make studying even more difficult. For instance, if your student is feeling ‘hangry,’ they may start to lose focus or lash out at their study partners or friends. Similarly, if your student is tired, they may not be able to concentrate until they get rest. In fact, studies show that sleep is one of the best predictors for academic success. 

No matter what your student might need, encourage them to check in with themselves throughout the day, especially during high-stress times.  

4. Take breaks 

The end of the semester can create or magnify stress in your student’s life.  Using the Pomodoro method is a great way to help your student focus on a single task at a time while providing structure and built-in breaks. 

Here’s how it works: 

• Set a timer for 25 minutes to work on one task. 
• When the timer goes off, take a 5-minute break to walk around, grab a snack or chat with a friend. 
• Repeat this cycle three times (25 minutes working with 5-minute breaks). 
• After completing all four rounds, take a 30-minute break. 

Remind your student that this method is just one way to help them get through assignments in a mindful way. However, they may also need to set boundaries around things like how much time they are willing to commit to a single assignment, how late they’re willing to stay up or how much responsibility they’re willing to take on for a group project. 

5. Revel in the small victories 

While it may feel silly, encourage your student to spend some time basking in the success of small (or unconventional) victories and milestones. For instance, they may celebrate completing a study guide, finalizing citations or hitting the half-way mark on a presentation.  

Taking time to acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate their efforts can help them stay motivated to push through.  

Here are some suggestions you can give for how to ‘celebrate.’ 

• Your student can have a nice dinner by cooking their favorite meal or ordering something special from their favorite restaurant. 
• Your student could schedule a couple of hours off to relax, recharge and spend time with friends or enjoy hobbies. 
• Your student can practice expressing gratitude for those who have helped them study or who have supported them through stressful moments (including themselves). 

6. Take a deep breath and relinquish control 

It’s normal for students to feel like they must perform well, especially on final exams. However, it’s important to remind your student that their value and self-worth are not defined by their grades. Let them know that being good or bad at something (like studying or test-taking) has nothing to do with who they are as a person, friend or son/daughter. They are still a kind, smart, capable person even if their grades don’t perfectly reflect those qualities. 

It’s also important to remind your student that what they’re feeling right now isn’t the way they’ll feel forever. If your student is hyper-focused on their current circumstances, encourage them to imagine how they may feel in a week, a month or a year from now. More likely than not, as time passes, their feelings or situation will feel less dire. 

Finally, encourage your student to relinquish control over the outcome. Once they’ve submitted an assignment, that’s it. Remind them that the outcome is in their instructor’s hands. If your student tends to ruminate over what might have gone wrong or things they may not have finished, remind them that it's okay to take a deep breath and appreciate that it’s over.  

7. Ask for help 

Asking for help can be difficult, even if your student knows they may need it. However, it’s important to remind your student that their friends, family, peers and professors all want them to succeed.  

More importantly, your student doesn’t have to go it alone. Instead, encourage them to reach out to resources on campus for support. They can also reach out to their instructors for help or to clarify project expectations. 

Campus resources 

Academic resources, tutoring services.

CU Boulder offers a wide variety of tutoring services. Some are specific to classes, departments or groups of students, while others are available campus-wide. Many of these services are free to use. If your student isn’t sure where to begin, encourage them to check their syllabus and ask their instructor for help and referrals.

Writing Center

The Writing Center provides free one-to-one tutoring sessions with professionally trained writing consultants, individualized guidance and feedback, and time-saving skills for writing and presentation projects. The Writing Center is free to all CU Boulder undergrad and graduate students. 

Grade Replacement Program

This program allows degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate students to retake a course in which they earned a low grade to improve their cumulative GPA. 

Disability Services

Disability Services provides students with disabilities reasonable academic accommodations, support and other services. They also offer free workshops that are open to all students. If your student needs help navigating test accommodations, they can reach out to Disability Services. 

Wellness resources

Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) provides free drop-in consultations through Let’s Talk. Counselors are available in person at multiple campus locations to help provide insight, solutions and information about additional resources.

Peer Wellness Coaching

Peer Wellness Coaching is a free service that can help your student set and achieve their goals. Peer wellness coaches are familiar with various topics, including stress, time management, study habits, academics, self-care, sleep and more. 

AcademicLiveCare

AcademicLiveCare allows students to access free, unlimited health services online.  

Please note: AcademicLiveCare does not provide crisis or emergency care. 

Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) provides free group workshops to help students learn how to manage anxiety, develop coping skills, take a break and make meaningful changes in their lives. 

Mental health crises

If your student is experiencing a possible mental health crisis or needs urgent, same-day support, Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) is here to support them 24/7. Encourage your student to call 303-492-2277. Calling ahead allows providers to triage their concerns so they can address them more quickly and effectively. 

Student Support and Case Management

SSCM assists students who may be impacted by challenging situations by helping them connect with campus partners, community resources and other support systems. If you’re concerned about your student, you can make a referral online.  

Figueroa Wellness Suite

The Wellness Suite is a great place to rest and reset. Whether your student needs a nap, wants to pick up free health and wellness supplies, or if they just want to find a quiet place to study, the Wellness Suite provides a relaxing environment for students. 

Note-taking strategies every student should try

Note-taking is a valuable skill that can come in handy throughout your student’s college career and beyond. Whether they’re trying to learn new material, prepare for an exam or simply get through a fast-paced lecture, these tips can help your student strengthen their note-taking skills.

6 tips for overcoming test anxiety

If your student experiences anxiety or has a difficult time making it through exams, here are some tips that can help them tame their anxiety when taking quizzes, tests and exams. 

Tips for navigating important conversations with your student

Sometimes things don’t go the way they think they will when it comes to our students. When this is the case, we may find ourselves having important (potentially challenging) conversations. Here are some tips you can use to navigate these conversations with your students in a productive, healthy way.

4 things to do if you’re concerned about your student

While we all want our students to have a positive college experience, many students may find themselves facing circumstances they weren’t expecting. If you’re concerned about your student, here are a few things you can do to support them. 

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Advice for the Unmotivated

• Robin Abrahams
• Boris Groysberg

How to reignite your enthusiasm for work

Employee disengagement is rampant in the workplace. We’ve all experienced it as customers encountering unhelpful retail clerks and as colleagues dealing with apathetic teammates. But what happens when you yourself feel dead at work?

This article describes what you as an individual can do to sustain your motivation or recover it, even in the most stultifying of jobs. After synthesizing research on this challenge and experimenting with various strategies, the authors have developed a process for recharging yourself called DEAR.

The first step is to detach and objectively analyze your situation so that you can make wise choices about it, instead of reacting in a fight-or-flight way. At day’s end, review what went well at your job and then mentally disconnect from it to give yourself a break. Meditation and exercise can help you do that and will improve your mood and cognitive function. Next, show empathy. Practice self-care, make friends, recognize the accomplishments of others, seek their views, and help them. Research shows that this combats burnout. Third, take action: achieve small wins, invest in rewarding outside activities, redefine your responsibilities, and turn uninteresting tasks into games. Ask yourself how someone you admire would behave in your situation, and dress in a way that projects confidence. Last, reframe your thinking: Focus on the informal roles you enjoy at work, your job’s higher-order purpose, and how others benefit from your work. All these techniques will improve your mental health and increase the energy you bring to your job—even if it is not what you’d like it to be.

In virtually everyone’s career, there comes a time when motivation and interest vanish. The usual tasks feel tedious. It’s hard to muster the energy for new projects. Though we go through the motions of being good employees or managers, we’re not really “there.” We become ghosts or zombies: the working dead.

• Robin Abrahams is a research associate at Harvard Business School.
• BG Boris Groysberg is a professor of business administration in the Organizational Behavior unit at Harvard Business School and a faculty affiliate at the school’s Race, Gender & Equity Initiative. He is the coauthor, with Colleen Ammerman, of Glass Half-Broken: Shattering the Barriers That Still Hold Women Back at Work (Harvard Business Review Press, 2021). bgroysberg

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How to Motivate Yourself to Work Out Even When Life Gets Hectic

Posted: September 30, 2023 | Last updated: October 4, 2023

Sometimes, finding the motivation to work out can be just as hard - if not harder - as doing the workout itself. That's why learning how to stay motivated is an essential part of any fitness routine, whether you've been working out for years or you're just beginning a new health journey. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to encourage yourself to get moving and motivate yourself to work out.

Ahead, you'll find 15 tips for finding the workout motivation you may be sorely lacking right now. Some have worked for me personally, others are backed by research, and a number are directly from an expert: Kelly Froelich, an NASM- and ACE-certified trainer and cofounder of the digital fitness platform Balanced , who was kind enough to share how she keeps herself (and her clients) motivated.

As you read through them, remember that it doesn't reflect on your character; no fitness journey is linear, and even the most dedicated gym-goers, athletes, and trainers experience dips in motivation at one point or another, too. If you're not feeling motivated to work out, also consider what might be causing those feelings in the first place: are you exhausted, burnt out , stressed out by work, or feeling pressured to do other things instead of taking time for yourself? Addressing the root cause of your lack of motivation could help you prevent tough moments where you rely on sheer willpower alone to get a workout in.

In the meantime, though, these tips for finding workout motivation can help. Keep reading for some inspiration, and keep in mind that one of these motivational strategies could work for you today, and another might work for you tomorrow. Keep them all in your arsenal so you're always ready to find some energy to make a workout happen.

- Additional reporting by Lauren Mazzo

Just Get Dressed

As someone who deals with depression and anxiety, I find that breaking tasks down into small steps can help me build the momentum needed to get stuff done. In my experience, this tactic works with exercise as well. When I'm not feeling motivated to work out but I know exercising will make me feel better, I tell myself: You don't have to exercise. Just get dressed. More often than not, simply getting dressed helps me feel motivated enough to get out the door and on the trail. It might work for you, too.

Stick With Workouts You Actually Enjoy

For me, this is key to staying motivated to exercise on a regular basis. I used to work out nearly daily, spending hours in the gym each week. I looked forward to intense cardio and strength training - but for the last couple of years, I've only been interested in exercising outdoors and stretching in my house. Hikes, long walks, bike rides, and kayaking trips are my workouts of choice these days. Currently, I'm working out less than I did for most of my 20s and my workouts are easier, but I wouldn't be exercising at all if I only allowed myself to do HIIT.

This isn't only true for me. Experts say , time and time again, that the best workout is the one you enjoy doing, because it means you'll stick with it since you'll want to do it again.

Find a Workout Buddy

"For extroverts or people who like being around people, I think accountability buddies or simply workout buddies are great. Sometimes, it is easier to let yourself down by skipping a workout than letting a friend down by missing it," Froelich tells POPSUGAR. "My favorite go-to activity to catch up with a friend is a workout and a meal afterwards."

Research confirms this benefit, showing that working out with a partner (even a virtual or simulated one) encourages people to work out harder. You don't need to do every workout with a friend , but having a standing weekly workout date for a yoga class or run can become a regular thing you look forward to - and you're much less likely to cancel on a friend than you are to cancel on a workout with yourself.

Try "Habit Stacking"

This term was coined by SJ Scott, author of "Habit Stacking: 127 Small Changes to Improve Your Health, Wealth, and Happiness" ($16). In the book, Scott suggests "stacking" new habits into a single routine, so that the new behavior you're trying to encourage is tied to something you already do. "I like to start my day with a coffee, a workout, and a meditation," Froelich explains. "That coffee, which I love, puts into motion the rest of my day, as I know after the coffee, I work out, and then meditate." Here's more on why habit stacking works , and how to try it yourself.

Pair Long Walks With Your Favorite Podcasts

I habitually listen to podcasts on walks, because it's a surefire way to get me moving and keep me moving, even when all I want to do is sit on my couch and watch "Insecure". Try it! A good podcast can make even hour-long walks fly by, and you'll probably learn something to boot. For a double dose of health and wellness, consider listening to one of these mental health podcasts the next time you take a stroll.

This workout motivation technique works so well, it's the entire impetus behind the viral hot girl walk - though with that trend, feel-good music playlists are fair game as well as podcasts.

Pay For a Workout Class

If paying for a workout class simply isn't in your budget right now, don't do it - you can work out outdoors, or at home , for free. If it is possible for you to pay for a workout class, however, doing so might be a good way to motivate yourself to exercise. If you're anything like me, you won't waste that money by skipping out.

Join a Challenge (or Create One For Yourself) and Pick a Prize For Following Through

"Challenges are a great way to self-motivate, as well. A 30-day challenge with a significant prize at the end - a massage or a dinner out with friends - is a great way to stay motivated," Froelich says. "Intrinsic motivation, such as an internal desire to do something, is great to stick to something in the long run, but sometimes you need a bit of extrinsic motivation, such as a prize, to start you off."

That challenge can totally depend on your goals and interests. It could be deciding to follow a workout plan , signing up for and completing a 5K, or working out three times a week for a month straight. Many workout apps have built-in challenges or training programs you can easily sign up for, and are often affordable, if not free.

Take Your Workout Outdoors

Exercise is medicine, no matter where you do it. But research shows that spending time in nature can be especially beneficial for overall health and wellness. (It's also just more fun, in my opinion.) So if you're struggling to find the motivation to work out, take your workout outdoors. Whether you walk, bike, hike, roller blade, play pickleball , or run, knowing your workout will double as quality time with nature might help you feel more motivated to get it done.

Remember Why You Started Working Out

"I also think it's important to come back to why you started," Froelich says. "When I train for a marathon, there are many, many times when I simply do not want to go on a long run for whatever reason - it could be too cold, too hot, too late in the day, not enough sleep. But, I always come back to the reason I was going on a run."

Signing up for a race or training for a specific event - whether that's a big hike or activity you want to do on vacation - can put the pressure on, but in a good way: if gives you a concrete "why."

If your "why" is simpler (for exmaple, that it feels good or leaves you with a clearer head) that's not any less valuable. Try to remind yourself of that post-workout feeling, and it could be the thing that helps you find some workout motivation.

Consider Fostering or Adopting a Dog

This one is certainly not a quick fix, and fostering or adopting a dog is no small feat. You definitely shouldn't take it on if you know you don't have the disposable income, emotional capacity, or bandwidth to provide a dog with the care they deserve. That said, if it's possible for you, fostering or adopting a dog would give you built-in motivation to stay physically active. Research shows that people with dogs tend to exercise more, just by nature of being good pet parents.

Think of Your Sleep Routine

Research supports a link between exercise and better sleep - so if nothing else motivates you to work out, think about how much faster you're likely to fall asleep , and how much more satisfying your sleep routine is likely be, if you don't skip your workout.

Set Goals You Can Realistically Achieve

Froelich encourages her clients to set realistic goals, such as working out three times a week for 30 minutes. "The key is that the goal isn't 'work out Monday, Wednesday, Friday' and, if you miss a day, you miss the goal. The goal should be flexible to how you are feeling and what times work for your schedule," Froelich explains. When your workout goal feels atainable vs. intimidating, that removes one more blockade that could mentally stand between you and getting to your workout.

Don't Compare Your Body or Fitness Journey to Others

Froelich says she's happiest and most likely to stick to her workout routine when she turns off Instagram during the week. "There are amazing communities and positive inspiration on Instagram, but there is also a lot of comparison. Comparison can be the enemy of happiness," Froelich says. And it can also very quickly zap your motivation.

"Instead of comparative 'body inspiration,' use your own body as inspiration," Froelich adds. "It can already do so many incredible things, and working out is a way to push your body in a safe way to do even more." Instead of thinking about how many push-ups someone else can do, pride yourself on getting in two more reps today.

Create a Workout Motivation Playlist

For much of my adult life, I've worked remotely as a writer. Over the years, I've discovered having a few designated writing playlists helps me switch into "writing mode," even when I have to work in the same room where I sleep and watch TV. It's a simple tactic that can be applied to finding workout motivation, too, and one I've relied on in the past. Creating a "workout motivation" playlist or two might help you find the will to exercise as well. Here's a list of the best workout songs for 2023 - with an entire playlist, ready to go - to get you started.

Say Kind Things to Yourself, Even When You Miss a Work Out

Tearing yourself down won't make you want to get up and do better tomorrow. "Be gentle with yourself. You are setting new goals for challenging things," Froelich says. "Progress is not a straight line, but it does tilt upwards. If you have a bad workout or miss a workout day, say motivating things like you are talking to your best friend. Sometimes, we can be our own worst critic."

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