How to find motivation

If you can find this- you dont need any more tips.
I have achieved success on many occassions- whether an exam or an interview.
The biggest secret to success is first searching the 'WHY'.

If you have a big enough reason, you can even move a mountain.

There are examples of an old women who lifted a car to save her child underneath it, of people fighting with a tiger to save their loved ones; and football players who continue playing with an open wound in their legs to win the match.

What gave them so much strength & determination- it was the answer to their 'WHY' they must do it.
This is not just a wish or a dream, they decide a BIG reason to do what it takes it to do.

Now, if you have been walking for an hour on a long road for an hour & are half way to the destination- you will become a bit slowed down. Now if you meet a mad dog running towards you, you will find the energy again & more to run the fastest to save your life.

If your goal is very big, you need a BIGGER reason to work towards it- if you can find this, you will achieve the goal no matter what.

Action tip: Be clear about your goal- is it SMART?
Now write it on top of a lined paper.
write down: 'WHY do i want to get this' underneath it.
Think of every reason why you must get this SMART goal, in this time.
Write these one by one underneath, using either a bullet point or a number.

It doesnt matter how many reasons you find- but usually 5- 10 are enough. Too many will distract you.
For some, even the single most important reason is enough.

Be sure to hang this paper above your study desk & look at it many times during the day to find your motivation.


I hope this helps....I have a few more methods to find the motivation...so keep coming back.

Posture while studying

This could come as a surprise for some, but there has been research into what postures are best to study- and no its not sitting on a desk!


What researchers did: They split a class of students into 4 groups & gave then an article to memorise. The 4 groups were further instructed to take as long as they feel to memorise it.
The difference was there posture- they were asked to be either lying down, sitting on a chair, standing on a spot, or walking around in a room with the paper in hand.


Results: No surprise here, the group that was lying down took the longest time & still scored lowest marks.

The standing group did better than the sitting one. But the students who were slowly walking around in the room learnt rapidly & scored highest.

Further more, the 'lying down' group remembered better in a similar posture.

Its a different story, if you are reading a boring book at bedtime to fall asleep. However, if its an important piece of work- get upright & get going- you need it.

So think about it friends, you should decide to be active for each of the 30- 40 minute of each study session in an upright posture. Then take a small break & resume again.

What to do in the break, we shall see in a later post.

Eating for exam performance

Exam days and the ones during preparation can be very stressful. There is a build up of anxiety, confusion due to the vast syllabus and no sense of direction (for most).

Students tend to neglect their diet, eat what they get or just eat junk. Can this affect your exam performance- no doubt it does. Simply eating breakfast is really important - if you don’t your concentration levels will dip. But if you're holed up revising in a library all day, the temptation to grab a Snickers bar from the vending machine can be too great to deny.

It’s easy to remember that excess of carbohydrates or fats tend to make you sleepy (opposite of what is needed). Particularly refined carbohydrates give you swings in blood sugar and so in mood. It is far preferable to nourish your body with wholesome foods containing plenty of fruits and vegetables. Foods high in protein also tend to keep you alert and give sustained energy.

If you are in a habit of studying late nights, always keep a supply of salads and fruits to snack on, rather than biscuits or chocolates. Snack smart on fresh fruits (bananas), dry fruits, honey-coated nuts, seeds, roasted whole grains, soups, salads or yogurt to prevent swings in blood sugars and cravings. These fill you with good nutrition without making you dull or constipated.

Some students like to supplement with multivitamins- which is not a bad idea. If you don’t get good food, then a good vitamin helps.

Finally, don’t forget to keep yourself (& your brain) well hydrated. Keep your water bottle filled and keep sipping from it. If your waterworks (urine) is dark coloured, then you need to increase water intake.

Just like sportsmen pay attention to their diet for competition, preparing for exams also needs some attention to a healthy balanced diet.

You will see a difference in performance with a clearer thinking.