UPSC Civil services IAS exam is one of the toughest exams in India and it requires mental strength throughout your study period. Hence, keeping yourself motivated helps you keep the momentum. We are motivated to complete tasks because it makes us feel good and energizing. But it doesn’t always come easy, and we all experience slow or difficult times. We could find it challenging to attend class, do our tasks, or prepare for tests during these periods. This is why at Officers IAS Academy; the best IAS coaching academy in Chennai strives in extra to keep our students motivated throughout their preparation.
Ways to increase motivation
There are numerous efficient techniques to boost and keep up motivation when pursuing our goals.
- Reconnect with your motivation.
Thinking back on the reasons you initially decided to pursue your studies is one of the most effective strategies to find motivation. You could:
- Consider your future and how your education will benefit you (e.g., job, skills, opportunities). Remind yourself of this future self and use it as inspiration now.
- List your core principles and constantly remind yourself of them.
- Write out your three primary motivations for enrolling in this course and post them on your wall.
- If you need to know how to bring Discipline and Concentration into your study routine, click here to watch the video of Olympic Athlete Elavenil Valarivan who gave a guest lecture at Officers’ IAS Academy.
- Make plans that will inspire you.
- Break up large projects into manageable pieces. We can concentrate and feel less overwhelmed by doing things one step at a time.
- Although starting before you are inspired is more difficult than it seems, there are deliberate ways we can structure our goals to assist us to become and stay motivated.
- It’s crucial to create objectives that are as genuinely reachable as possible to avoid disappointing oneself.
- Set objectives that are precise, quantifiable, and time-bound. Your chances of success can be greatly improved by being as specific as you can be about your goals.
- Recognizing various motivational styles to make it work for you.
- The benefits of taking action are the main emphasis of positive motivation. You may add something like, “While studying , I’m learning new things that will be helpful.”
- Negative motivation emphasizes the undesirable outcomes that might result from inaction. For instance, “If I don’t earn a specific mark, my parents will be disappointed in me.”
- Both positive and negative motivations might be useful depending on the situation. Try to see how various motivators affect you.
When you take action, inspiration will come. Many individuals make the mistake of believing that we must first feel “motivated enough” to take action. Contrarily, psychological research demonstrates that motivation arises from activity, which then inspires further action. As a result, we sometimes need to start even when we don’t feel ready, believing that inspiration will come after and allow us to take further action.
- Live a balanced lifestyle.
- Put self-care first- Arrange frequent breaks, go for a run, listen to your favorite music, or get enough sleep to rejuvenate. Even if you might not believe you have the time, you’ll be astonished by how much more clearly you can think and work after a relaxing or enjoyable break.
- Appreciate the small victories- Planning brief rewards (a break or a treat) for when you finish a task might lift your mood. It might also make it simpler to return to studying after a small break and to expect another reward after completing the subsequent task.
- Establish a supportive work environment
- While some people study better with a regimen, others require variation and diversity to remain focused. Try studying in a different place, like the library or your favorite café, or try something new, like using the Pomodoro Technique or listening to instrumental music as you study.
- Keep in mind that you don’t have to do it alone. If you get more motivated by working with others, consider joining a good study group or surrounding yourself with encouraging people who will support you rather than divert your attention.
- Keeping Fit
- Having a healthy mind and body is essential in staying motivated.
- A regular fitness regime can do wonders to you as you will feel refreshed and confident in achieving your goals. It can pump up the feel-good neurotransmitters called endorphins, and help you manage stress.
- You may follow a sport or light exercises to keep yourself physically healthy, and meditation/yoga for mental prosperity.
Click to watch the video where the daily routine of a topper is explained so that you can apply some of them to your preparation. Our methodology is created and taught by experts who have not only passed every stage of the UPSC examination but have also gone on to serve this country with distinction. We are the only IAS Academy founded by a group of like-minded former civil servants that has incorporated the much required mental techniques into the teaching curriculum. Our coaching method has produced many civil servants and if you wish to see the video of two such aspirants who got IAS and IPS in their very first attempt, then click here. I wish you well with your studies and am eager to meet future civil servants.