How do you find motivation?

[honkycat1]

Please don't misunderstand the question, I don't mean like, how do you EVER find motivation. But do you ever find an extra spark of "I gotta get down and get stuff done" type of motivation in this? movies? music? some video? reading about someone's autobiography?

[Sigaba]

Please don't misunderstand the question, I don't mean like, how do you EVER find motivation. But do you ever find an extra spark of "I gotta get down and get stuff done" type of motivation in this? movies? music? some video? reading about someone's autobiography?

Donnyz89--

For me, there's nothing like the bone crushing force of an impending deadline. The edge of terror can be heightened with an ice cold can of Coca Cola chased by a cup of coffee, and a snicker's bar.

Reading the autobiographies and memoirs of established historians also helps.

[qbtacoma]

Yep, the deadline does it for me, too. Also, if I'm juggling several assignments at once, it forces me to prioritize and be efficient. I don't have any room to not be doing things, and while I might procrastinate by doing the less urgent things first, everything does get done. Unfortunately, "have lots of stuff due at once isn't a strategy that's easy to implement, unless you are good at telling yourself that your own fake deadlines are real.

[phd_student5678]

Scheduling a meeting for which I've promised deliverables. I used to try to avoid scheduling meetings with people. Now I do it all the time to keep productive.

[robot_hamster]

I am much more efficient as a deadline approaches.

[fuzzylogician]

Structured procrastination. I am very productive when I have several things going at once.

Deadlines. I am good at meeting fake deadlines.

Lists. I have daily, weekly and semester-long do-to lists with (fake or real) deadlines. I will almost always meet my actual deadlines.

[far_to_go]

Scheduling a meeting for which I've promised deliverables. I used to try to avoid scheduling meetings with people. Now I do it all the time to keep productive.

This helps me quite a bit! I'm doing a "directed readings" course this semester, and if I didn't have bi-weekly meetings with my prof, I'd never get anything done.

I am not that good at meeting "fake" deadlines, but I find that positive reinforcement works well for me. I tell myself, "If you read those 3 articles/finish your paper/submit that grant application, then you can get some ice cream/go for a hike/ watch that movie." Having a concrete reward in mind, even if it's relatively small, helps me to focus and get the work done.

I also use music quite a bit to help me study, mostly instrumental classical or jazz. Sometimes when I need to get a project done, I'll buy myself a new Mp3 album and tell myself that I can only listen to it while I'm working on that project.

I rely on structured procrastination, or what I like to call "clearing the decks". If I have a major project to accomplish during the week, I try to do everything else first that might prevent me from working on that project (smaller academic projects as well as non-school responsibilities like laundry and grocery shopping). I do set a time limit for this. Once I've "cleared the decks," I find it's much easier for me to burrow into the big project - and by that time, since the deadline is usually approaching, I'm under pressure. Which usually helps.

[runonsentence]

Like everyone else here, I too am deadline-oriented.

Writing down a deadline helps me convince myself that a fake deadline is real. So does scheduling workshops/draft exchanges with friends before the actual deadline.

Deadlines for revisions ("I'll have the second draft of that SoP to you by XX date") is what got me through application season.

[gellert]

I love to-do lists. There's something exceptionally satisfying about being able to cross an item off.

Beyond what's already been mentioned, I find there are specific songs that motivate me. Not gonna lie, "Chip on my Shoulder" from the Legally Blonde musical is kind of fantastic. Also drinking black coffee or studying in a place where I've spent a lot of time studying before (means I have strong associations between that location and working hard). It's easy for me to romanticize studying as I have a rather active imagination, so finding any sort of situation that feels academically "romantic" to me is very helpful. For example, a secluded library carrel or a nice kettle of peppermint tea. I'm also pretty nerdy and I have a Ravenclaw scarf that I'll wear during winter months if I need that little something extra. (Um. Yeah. Don't judge.) Reading academic blogs is also helpful, and there are several excellent ones posted here on TGC.

It also helps to envision what it will be like if you succeed in whatever it is you're trying to due. Studying for an exam? Close your eyes and imagine what it will be like when you get that paper back and there's a big "A" written in the corner. Writing your thesis? Think how awesome it'll be once you're all done and have successfully defended. This is a trick I learned when I was younger and still did competitive diving: just imagine yourself doing whatever it is you want to do perfectly and how it will feel after you're done. Then go do it.

Edited September 18, 2011 by gellert

[qbtacoma]

Yeah, for the release of the last Harry Potter book, I got sorted into Ravenclaw too and I was way happy. (Also, too old for activities aimed at kids between 6 and 12 - shhhhh!) A Ravenclaw scarf, though - that's like a public declaration of your smartness. You'd better not wear one of those and then fail to do your work. That's just embarrassing!

[butterfingers2010]

What a coincidence that I stumbled across this post...I'm feeling especially unmotivated and uninspired today, for some reason. I tend to get "bursts" of energy when it comes to getting things done..I will have days like today where I don't feel like doing anything, and other days when I get a ridiculous amount of things done. I try to take advantage of times when I'm feeling energetic and get a bunch of work done then. As far as grad school applications go, I have been setting weekly goals (for example: this week I'm going to polish up the final drafts of my SOP) and long-term goals (by November 1st I want to have all my application materials ready to go). Mind you November 1st isn't a "real" deadline but it does give me some motivation to get moving on things. A pot of gourmet coffee seems to help things along, too.

[runonsentence]

I've also found that studying/writing near people who are more disciplined than me really helps. I don't know whether it's the potential shame of a colleague I respect seeing me in my lazy element or whether it's positive motivation (hey, I want to be disciplined like you! I'm inspired!), but either way it works.

It's kind of like why I run along busy roads: I don't want someone driving by to see me stop running! (Especially because this end of town gets kind of small-town crazy, and inevitably I will know someone!)

[Floripas]

Beyond what's already been mentioned, I find there are specific songs that motivate me. Not gonna lie, "Chip on my Shoulder" from the Legally Blonde musical is kind of fantastic.

Legally Blonde the musical is just all types of inspirational. And once you accomplish a goal or cross something off that big list, listen to "So Much Better". And for those applying to grad school, "What You Want" will make you power thru apps.

Alright, I've admitted enough of my guilty pleasures.

[gellert]

Legally Blonde the musical is just all types of inspirational. And once you accomplish a goal or cross something off that big list, listen to "So Much Better". And for those applying to grad school, "What You Want" will make you power thru apps.

Alright, I've admitted enough of my guilty pleasures.

I am so happy that someone else feels the same way as I do. I totally listen to "So Much Better" as well whenever I want to imagine how satisfying it would be if I actually did, say, get the NSF or get into my top choice school.

[ktel]

I'm staying motivated right now due to the fact that I know extremely little about the research I will be doing soon and have to learn a lot and fast! I also try to go to my office at school to do work, as I am much less likely to procrastinate there than I do at home. My adviser keeps sending me more stuff to do, so as it's piling up that is also motivating me quite a lot.

[Behavioral]

I worked in industry for a year.

I just have to remember what working with clients was like and I feel reinvigorated all of a sudden.

[honkycat1]

I'm staying motivated right now due to the fact that I know extremely little about the research I will be doing soon and have to learn a lot and fast! I also try to go to my office at school to do work, as I am much less likely to procrastinate there than I do at home. My adviser keeps sending me more stuff to do, so as it's piling up that is also motivating me quite a lot.

working in the office is a huge + for me too

[supplicant]

I decide how much work I want to do for the day, show up in the morning, get it done and go back home. It's been working reasonably well for about a week now. I really want to avoid working against deadlines (again).

[hejduk]

Ditto to the working from the office thing. I can't get work done at home, as I'd be glued to the news and social networks all day. I make it a habit to get to campus by 9:30 and stay until around 4:30 or so. What I don't get done I don't get done. It makes for roughly a 40-hour week, and then when I'm home I don't do work at all.

I'm a firm believer in work/life balance. This PhD crap will eat you alive if you let it. I may not be the best student, but I get my shit done, and I still have plenty of time to hang-out at home.

[Behavioral]

I guess it's all about reference points. I'm working around 60 hours a week, and don't really find a problem with it. I worked as much as an undergrad being involved in multiple labs at once, and if you count traveling, I worked more my one year of FT employment. I also tend to work weekends since that's what everyone else in my program (and the other grad students I've met so far in other departments) does, so it's not like a 'glass-half-empty' sort of thing to me.

[SNPCracklePop]

Deadlines always work with me. Reminding myself that my kids aren't getting any younger also helps. I'll find essays about graduate school success for that needed spark (bio.research.ucsc.edu/people/thompson/StudentSuccess.pdf).

[SNPCracklePop]

I also try to remind myself what I've already accomplished with a glance of my CV or transcript. We (Grad students) tend to look upward at the mountain left to climb, but it helps to look back down once in a while.

[UnlikelyGrad]

Depends what I need to do:

For writing, it has to be a deadline. Nothing else works--I think I've tried everything under the sun. I do try to write a paragraph or two every day just as a matter of habit, so that I have *something* down when a deadline looms, but there's still WAY too much to do the day before deadline.

For lab work, I put on some good dance music and dance around the lab while I get things done. Sometimes I sing along, too. If people think I am weird...they're right.

[butterfingers2010]

I also try to remind myself what I've already accomplished with a glance of my CV or transcript. We (Grad students) tend to look upward at the mountain left to climb, but it helps to look back down once in a while.

Very well stated!

[SNPCracklePop]

For lab work, I put on some good dance music and dance around the lab while I get things done. Sometimes I sing along, too. If people think I am weird...they're right.

Was blasting Michael Jackson the other day while on the microscope. It really helps. Got some looks, of course.