Know what it means to be purposeful
Why know your “why”? Motivation cannot exist without purpose and intention. Knowing what you are working towards can instil a certain amount of intrinsic drive. For example, if you know what your dream grades are you have a target to set your eyes on. If you are studying with the hopes of transforming your B in Science to an A, this makes your objective a clear one and provides you with a direction to move in. However, knowing your “what” is not always enough. There will be days when showing up and putting in the effort feels harder than usual. On days like these, your goal itself will not be enough to power you if your goal does not mean anything more to you than being a mere checkpoint to be reached. On the other hand, knowing your “why” and feeling a deeper sense of purpose as you work towards your goals helps you take action in a more intentional way. Being purposeful will stop you from burning out and falling into a rut. When you put in work while being in touch with your “why”, you will remain optimistic and inspired and you will always find the energy to do what you need to do.
Rely on internal motivation over external factors
So how do you find your “why”? Firstly, your “why” has to be something that matters to you as an individual. As a student, there can be quite a few external factors that reward you for doing well in school. For example, studying really hard and seeing really high scores on your tests and assignments can feel very satisfying and rewarding. Your teachers might give you good feedback and praise you for your progress while your parents might tell you how proud they are of you which can feel extremely validating and gratifying. However, these are all external sources of motivation! The satisfaction you feel from these sources can easily die down or you might not even receive the external reward you were expecting. These can cause you to fall behind since you start to feel as though there is no point in working as hard as you do. On the other hand, internal motivation and an intrinsic sense of purpose that aligns with your values will keep you driven in the long term! Finding this internal motivation is easier said than done. Fortunately as a student, this is the perfect time for you to experiment and find out what you are most passionate about and what brings you the most joy!
Work with others
Even though internal motivation is important, working alongside people who keep this motivation in you alive is crucial to staying consistent and achieving your long term goals. For students, the best way to practise this is to surround yourself with peers who are as driven and passionate as you would like to be. Ambition can be quite infectious! Operating in a collaborative way with like-minded people and letting them inspire you and act as a constant reminder of your “why” keeps you focused on your goals. Along with your peers, your teachers should be part of this motivational environment as well. When you view school and academics as a tool to develop your passions and what you truly care about, you will start to see your teachers as coaches and mentors for life!
Look beyond school
As a student, your immediate goals are probably related to your academic achievements. However, your “why” for wanting to do well in school does not have to be purely academic. For example, you might end up finding a love for science by spending more time outdoors and gaining an appreciation for the natural world. This appreciation can branch out into a desire to understand scientific concepts and phenomena which can motivate you to do your best at science in school. Because this drive comes from a genuine interest and passion for the subject, you will find that your motivation is not easily depleted and you will be able to fully engage in learning.
Learn from setbacks
Finally, surface-level motivation can be easily killed by failure and setbacks. However, if you are driven by a deeper purpose, failure will only spur you on even further as you will feel driven to pick yourself up, look into your shortcomings and overcome your current difficulties!