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Ass-Kicking Email – How to Stay Motivated to Learn

Hey,

In this email:

Motivation–Is it really *so* difficult?

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The #1 Extra-Hidden Secret to Motivation

Of course, there is no such thing. Motivation isn’t about secrets,
but mostly common sense.

Unfortunately, academic environments often make it difficult to
stay motivated. Lousy teachers, emphasis on grades over actual
understanding, standardized tests.

My suggestion for staying motivated within your program is:

1. Develop a deep extra-curricular interest in the subject.
2. Emphasize discipline over passion.

The reason many people (including myself) often get in a slump
for staying motivated with their studies is often less the subject
itself and more on the environment it is being taught. I’ve found
that almost any subject can be fascinating, however by taking
out the carrots and sticks of exams, attendance records and group
work, the natural luster becomes dull.

My solution is to remind myself of why a subject can be intriguing
despite the scholastic drudgery. Develop a strong, personal
interest in your field through projects or extra-curricular
reading, and that can help you stay motivated within your
subject.

Here’s a few examples:

-Computer science? -> Create your own computer game.
-Business? -> Start a small business project on the side.
-Statistics? -> Volunteer at a lab researching something cool.
-Chemistry? -> Who said paper-maché volcanoes were just for kids?

The second point is to emphasize discipline over motivation in
your studies. Yes, there will be parts of school you don’t like,
the goal is to cultivate discipline so you can push through the
less interesting bits and sink your teeth into the things you
actually care about.

Oh, and my friend Stefan Knapen released his own ebook on
college motivation:

http://studysuccessful.com/100th-post-ebook/

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