August 27, 2023
Motivation is like having extraordinary energy and perseverance to accomplish challenging tasks. Imagine having your own cheering squad that keeps you going when the going gets tough! When you are motivated, you are not only learning but also able to reach new heights and achievements!
Motivation: Fact or Fantasy?
There is science behind the relationship between motivation and learning. Carol Dweck, one of the world’s leading researchers on motivation and mindset, found that when you believe you can improve at a skill and grow, your motivation skyrockets! This is referred to as “growth mindset,” which can turn every learning opportunity into a positive adventure (Dweck, 2006).
How Do I Begin Building My Motivational Prowess?
The good news is that you can fire up your motivational engines even when the subject matter is a bit tricky or not-so-exciting. Here are ways to begin:
Discover the “Why?” Your job is to discover the “why” behind a lesson or subject. How does the topic connect to your life or the world? While you may not love learning to write paragraphs or math formulas, why are they important in the bigger picture? By learning how to master a task, does it lead you closer to a goal? Did having this skill lead someone in history to complete an important discovery, work of art, or invention? Once you are able to connect the dots, you can see the bigger picture, which becomes more exciting!
Set Mini Goals: Sometimes motivation declines because we expect too much of ourselves too soon! We cannot climb Mount Everest if we have not practiced climbing smaller mountains first. It is important to break daunting tasks into smaller, doable steps. Each step conquered becomes a small victory! If the first goal we set for ourselves is still too challenging, we can break it down further. Baby steps are perfectly acceptable!
Celebrate Your Progress: Imagine you are on an epic adventure, and every step you take is a milestone. Celebrate your progress! Whether it's merely screaming "Yahoo!" or doing a personal happy dance, you have reached a goal. I love crossing out an item on my “to do” list, and seeing the number of tasks reduce is very rewarding for me!
Fuel Your Curiosity: You can unlock secrets in the universe by diving into a subject with curiosity! It is important to ask questions, explore items of interest, and discover the hidden gems within topics. Imagine yourself living in a certain time period, having to communicate certain information to influential people, or navigate your way through an adventure!
Connect with Others and Learn: Share cool facts that you have learned, challenge each other by sharing related ideas, and create games or grand adventures where you can learn more about topics. Sharing information and having opportunities for discussion also promote learning.
Get ready to unleash your motivation and make your learning journey an admirable adventure! We can help you find your “Why” at Cogmotion Learning today!
Reference: Dweck, C.S (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Random House.
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