meerkat-studies

[meerkat-studies]

why we can’t always rely on feeling motivated (and tips on finding motivation again!)

It’s been nearly a year into the pandemic, and starting my a-levels during a time when it feels difficult to focus has taught me one thing:

motivation is volatile.

It just seems to ‘evaporate’ away, and we’re not really sure when it’ll return. 

Many of us don’t feel the motivation to study every single day of the week, and ‘natural’ motivation isn’t always enough to help us get our tasks done.

Motivation is temporary. We can never force ourselves to feel motivated, and motivation tends to only properly come when we start doing productive things.

Of course, there’s days where we can’t study at all (whether it’s illness, needing to rest etc.) but on days where the lack of motivation is the only thing stopping you from completing your tasks, the best thing you can do is:

Tip #1: Just Get Started!

Many advise you to complete your most difficult tasks first, and get them out of the way. I tend to ignore this. 

If I don’t feel like doing anything, I start with fairly easy tasks (like reading an article, tidying or making brief notes on a textbook page). This tends to put me into a productive, motivated mindset.

Chances are, you’ll fall into a flow of ticking things off your to-do list, and before you know it, you’re back to work. You might even start to enjoy this newly found sense of productivity.  

But, if you still don’t feel like studying, chances are you just need to rest. 

Tip #2: Don’t Overthink It!

Even getting started on your easier tasks can feel like a lot, since most of the time you have to overcome the dreaded p-word (procrastination). You might even be putting off your tasks right now, by reading this post. 

I tend to compare getting started on studying with getting out of bed. 

Your bed feels like the best place to be in the morning, and anything other than being in bed seems miserable and too much. The hardest part of waking up is leaving the warmth of the blankets, but you soon realise that it’s not that bad being awake, and all you’re missing is a few extra minutes of sleep (that would likely be disturbed by your alarm anyway). 

Starting with work is exactly the same. Scrolling through our infinite Instagram feed is just like the warm covers of our bed. Studying seems like the most boring and tedious thing. When you close the app, (and maybe start a Forest timer), you realise that it feels much better to be studying, and there was really nothing valuable about those posts on Instagram. 

It comes with practice, but the best way to overcome procrastination is to stop overthinking it, and remind yourself that there’s always an easy solution to breaking out of the procrastination chain, and getting on with your work. 

Throw your phone onto the bed, away from sight. Switch off Netflix, and promise yourself that after an hour of study you’ll watch another episode. 

If you generally enjoy your subject(s), remind yourself of that. A task that seems boring at the time is just one part of your journey to learning something that you’re likely really passionate about! School/uni is, of course, bound to have its good days and bad days. Think of hitting a motivation-slump as just another bad day, that will be met with many good days. 

Tip #3: Finally, Remind Yourself That:

It shouldn’t be your goal to work constantly. 

Just the fact that you’re on studyblr, and you’re striving to find ways to improve your productivity, shows that you take your tasks and studies seriously. 

You’re probably already doing the right thing!

~~~

Best of luck for whatever you’re trying to accomplish next. 

(Oh, and a quick disclaimer: I’m not really qualified to give study advice: I just thought I’d share my ideas, in case anyone stumbles into this and finds it useful! We all have different circumstances, and of course some find it easier to find a sense of motivation than others.)

[meerkat-studies]

A mind map on Ancient Greek religion (Click on the images for better quality!!)

I know it’s not very neat, I still liked the look of this mindmap. I used ripped up post it notes to create the titles, and stuck to a simple colour scheme.

(The lightning is rubbish, but that’s because it’s been raining a lot here recently. I actually quite like the weather - I feel more productive working with the sound of the rain💧)

#handwriting #study #study motivation #studyblr #motivation #muji #notes #student #studygram #dark academia #mindmap #ancient greek history

[meerkat-studies]

today’s (kinda messy) workspace

worked on some GCSE recap notes today, just to remind myself of the basics!

#handwriting #study #study motivation #studyblr #dark academia #motivation #notes #student #studygram #muji #maths #a level #gcse

[meerkat-studies]

started reading ‘Great Expectations’ by Dickens - from previously not being a big fan of his writing, this book has pleasantly surprised me!

second week of the holidays... the time is passing a bit too quickly :/

[meerkat-studies]

✫ today’s study space ✫

first day of the summer holidays, which seems really strange to me. although we would be off school, it's nice to stay productive I guess :/

hope everyone has a relaxing summer :)

#study #study hard #study notes #student #mindmap #dark academia #studyspo #study space #study motivation #studybrl #studygram #muji #Handwriting #these are too many tags #I should stop

[meerkat-studies]

Hey again, been a while lol :/

I’ve honestly lost track of the 100 days of productivity challenge, but that’s ok! My main priority is to keep busy - even if that involves a few days where I’m less productive than usual :)

We had some ‘induction lessons’ for maths, so I thought I’d write some recap notes in prep for September!

#study #studyblr #motivation #handwriting #notes #study motivation #dark academia #muji #student #maths #alevel #neat handwriting #studygram #studyaccount #studyspo #minimalist #study hard

[meerkat-studies]

100 ᴅᴀʏs of ᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ: Days 1+2 Hey again, it’s been a while! I started the 100 days of productivity challenge on Monday, and for the first two days, I’ve just been researching some British monarchs, in prep for my studies next year. I know my handwriting isn’t the neatest (and the lighting is rubbish!) but I thought I’d document some of my notes anyway. Muji paper is a life-saver though! Until next time ~

#studyblr #studygram #study #study motivation #studyinspo #study account #study hard #motivation #studies #notes #handwriting #note taking #alevel #Muji

[meerkat-studies]

The Evening Star, Washington DC, October 16, 1918

[meerkat-studies]

Hi again! It’s been a while...

Not that many people will see this, but I’m planning on starting the 100 Days of Productivity challenge from tomorrow, and I’ll try document it as best as I can.

This is just a heads up that the things I post will definitely not be the neatest notes, but hopefully any work I post will inspire people to be productive!

Until tomorrow :)

(Oh, and if people have any tips for keeping productive, please feel free to comment!)

[meerkat-studies]

Meditation 1 complete - another five to go...

#studyblr #studygram #study #study motivation #bulletjournal #studyinspo #studyaccount #studyhard #motivation #philosophy #descartes #studies #notes #muji #handwriting #notetaking #a level #a level philosophy #dark academia #student

[meerkat-studies]

I felt productive and thoughtful today - Descartes’ Meditations provided the perfect food for thought.

#studyblr #studygram #study #study motivation #bulletjournal #studyinspo #studyaccount #studyhard #motivation #philosophy #descartes #studies #notes #muji #handwriting #notetaking #alevel

[meerkat-studies]

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald

•o•o•o

A fresh page in my bullet journal today - hope everyone has had a happy and productive week!

#bulletjournal #bujo #bujo spread #productivity #student #motivation #studyblr #todo #dark academia #golden hour #notebook #handwriting

[meerkat-studies]

copying out some old book notes into my commonplace book with my fountain pen!

[meerkat-studies]

why make a studyblr?

Hey, meerkat here. (Obviously not my real name lol)

It’s quarantine, and boredom is slowly creeping in. Since my exams have been cancelled, it’s been hard to find something to work towards. The only thing that’s kept me busy - and probably sane - is some pre-reading and ‘induction’ tasks I’ve been set for my next year of study. It might not sound like much, but it’s enough for the next two months or so. 

Strangely, I miss the frantic revision scene of year 11. Yes, there were times when it felt a bit too much, but keeping busy seems to be something I’ve taken for granted. 

So, what do these two things have to do with starting a studyblr? It’s simple really: I miss studying, and I finally have some stuff to study - why not document it here? 

Just a disclaimer haha - there is no guarantee that I’ll post consistently. Although, I doubt anyone’s actually going to find this blog, ergo, no one will really care. 

Second disclaimer: my notes aren’t works of art. Yeah, I try to make them neat, and co-ordinated, but only because it helps me in revision later on. I find the most inspiration from study blogs where people post any way they study - whether it’s flashcards and neatly decorated notes, or an annotated doodle on a piece of scrap paper - and I want to replicate that here. 

𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁

That’s all I can think of to write here right now - best not to ramble on. If anyone miraculously finds this blog, I hope everything is going okay wherever you are... we live in weird times indeed. I also hope that you find this blog somewhat motivating (if I ever actually upload).

Until next time.

#studyblr #student #study #studyspo #first post #study notes #study motivation #notes #handwriting #dark academia