Skills Guide Content
Goal: How to make changes when motivation is low
Getting started when motivation is low is hard. Taking a moment to identify their emotional state, your student can then try out different motivation tricks to get moving again.
Some people really struggle with procrastination, and will resist getting started. These techniques can help interrupt that old pattern, and potentially give them the boost of energy needed to try doing it differently:
- split the difference
- beat the clock
- brain dump
- incentive yourself
- body doubling
Activity from Planner
How do I get started when I am not motivated? Or even worse, what if I don’t want to even start? You are in luck; we’ve got some handy and quick tricks for you to try. Read about each one on the next page, and then come back and circle the one below you want to try.
- Split the difference
- Beat the clock
- Brain dump
- Incentivize yourself
- Find a body double
Extended Activity
How do I get started when I am not motivated? Or even worse, what if I don’t want to even start?
You are in luck; we’ve got some handy and quick tricks for you to try. Pick one from the list to gain momentum.
- Split the difference — Sometimes, you can’t get going because you think about what you wish you were doing instead. When that happens, try splitting the difference.
do whatever you want work on your project do whatever you want work on your project - Beat the clock — if you can’t get started because it feels overwhelming, set a timer for 10 minutes and challenge yourself to see how much you can get done in 10 minutes.
- Brain dump — find a piece of paper (or use an empty place in your planner) and write down everything you think. It doesn’t need to be related to what you need to get done. When you finish, look at what came to the surface. Do you need to do something to focus on your work now? Do you need to take your paper and turn it into a list? Is there something you need to schedule time for later and eliminate the distraction now? Is there an obstacle to your work you hadn’t realized that’s keeping you stuck?
- Incentivize yourself — create a small reward you can earn for your hard work. Focusing on the reward helps you stay motivated to reach your goals. For example, if you have a long paper to write for class but enjoy funny memes, you can pull up an article online with a list of popular memes but don’t read it yet. Decide to write 500 words, then look at five memes from the list. Write another 500 words, and then look at the next five memes.
- Find a body double! Ask someone to do a similar task alongside you. You can do this in person or over a video call. You aren’t collaboratively working; you are just working next to each other. If it helps, include some accountability. Share what you will work on, and then check in 30 minutes later to gauge your progress.
Print out a copy of this activity, then highlight or circle the item on the list you want to try next. Next time you feel stuck, you’ll already have a plan!
Keep in mind that everyone’s wiring is different. What works for one person may only work for one person. If something you tried from this list was a bust, pick another trick and try again!
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