Four Steps to Scientifically Maintain Motivation

A year ago, I began learning English as a new challenge.

Initially, the excitement of learning a new language and dreams of future overseas travel and business opportunities made my daily studies enjoyable.

However, as I studied English and encountered complex grammar and pronunciation barriers, my enthusiasm gradually waned.

During my studies, and on many nights, I often questioned myself, 「Is it really worth continuing? Is there any meaning in persevering?」

From this experience, I began to wonder, 「What is motivation?」

I decided to first delve deeply into understanding how not to run out of this 「fuel」 called motivation.

I believed that if I could understand the mechanism of motivation, I would be able to keep going without running out of fuel.

How can we continue doing what we truly have to do, or what we want to do?

Can willpower be augmented by using certain techniques?

In this article, based on my experience gained through the challenge of learning English, I would like to share the secrets.

I would like to share the four steps I believe are necessary to maintain motivation.

1 . Clarification of Vision

A few years ago, I was enjoying a trip abroad. At the hostel where I stayed, a traveler in the same room started a conversation with me. He shared intriguing topics and local recommendations, but I couldn’t respond adequately.

Even when I thought of words to say, I could only clumsily string them together, hoping he’d understand.

I vividly remember the frustration I felt, standing in front of the thick wall of language.

Until then, I had somewhat encountered English through movies and books, but I realized I hadn’t really honed practical conversational skills.

Of course, listening and reading skills are different from speaking abilities.

Thus, one should train accordingly for each.

However, until I felt the pain of not being able to speak, I hadn’t truly acknowledged this.

This experience became a significant turning point for me.

From this, I realized the importance of clarifying my vision (or goal) in learning.

My true goal in studying English was not just to increase my knowledge of the language but to communicate smoothly with locals and build friendships.

By first having a concrete vision, the direction and purpose of learning become clear, making it easier to maintain motivation.

2 . Backward Planning and Quantification

When we start learning something new, we often feel overwhelmed by the big goals or dreams ahead, as if stranded in a vast desert.

From a beginner’s standpoint, the grand vision of fluently speaking English felt overwhelming, and I struggled to figure out where to begin.

Then, I decided to employ the 「backward planning」 approach.

By defining the goal using this method and breaking it down into smaller tasks, my daily studies gained a clear direction.

In my case, to improve my English speaking skills, I set a daily 30-minute output speaking practice. This number guided my daily routine, allowing me to feel tangible progress each day.

However, merely setting aside time wasn’t enough. Simply dedicating time didn’t show whether my speaking skills were genuinely improving.

So, I started to monitor mistakes during speaking and leveraged that feedback to enhance the quality of my learning. As the number of errors decreased, my confidence grew.

From this, I realized that managing based on numbers combined with feedback is key to maximizing the effectiveness of learning.

When pursuing a goal, having concrete metrics and feedback can significantly boost one’s path to success.

While having a grand vision is crucial, setting specific steps to achieve it and tracking progress with numbers will undoubtedly clarify the journey to reaching your objectives.

3 . Setting Deadlines

Humans tend to procrastinate by nature.

I am one of them and often didn’t touch my reports until the submission deadline approached.

Strangely enough, once I began working on it that day, I felt I could somehow complete the report. It’s a completely misguided belief, though.

A recent memory is of a report that was due at 23:59. I spent the few hours leading up to that deadline in a desperate struggle to finish it.

That day, I was busy with other tasks until the evening and completely forgot about the report. I realized at 8 pm, with less than 4 hours left.

Amidst panic and tension, I fervently typed on my keyboard. I faced several problems, like my PC freezing or references being unavailable, but I never gave up.

At 23:58, I finally completed the report and accessed the submission site. The countdown began, and my heart raced. I managed to submit it just a minute before 23:59.

From this experience, I deeply felt the dangers of procrastination and the importance of setting deadlines.

However, I realized that it’s not just about setting a deadline, but also planning towards it.

Now, I set rewards for achieving my goals and penalties for not (like losing credits). This makes me more committed.

Especially for learning English, a plan that involves specific actions is very effective. For instance, booking a trip to an English-speaking country in three months.

By setting such time constraints, you can continue learning without losing motivation.

4. Consider Alternative Plans: Unexpected Obstacles

In reality, our plans rarely go perfectly. Various obstacles and challenges often prevent us from following our plans.

However, when there’s a slight deviation, we sometimes feel like giving up. This is similar to stopping running and walking instead when you realize you’re a minute late for school.

Such reactions are often the result of perfectionism or the thought that 「if it doesn’t go according to plan, everything is ruined.」

Such thinking can be a major barrier to achieving goals.

Therefore, it’s important to consider alternative plans in advance. By thinking of different methods or approaches to rectify deviations, you can stay on track towards your goals.

In my case, I aim to study English for 30 minutes every day.

Of course, if I can’t study one day, I could study for an hour the next day. However, this added pressure often makes me avoid studying the next day, leading to days without studying.

My backup plan is simple.

If I can’t study one day, I accept it and continue as usual the next day. I don’t dwell on my failures; I forget them and move on. This is my secret to consistency.

Of course, this approach might not suit everyone. But accepting failures and moving forward is an essential mindset for consistency.

I view motivation as water.

Water is essential for sustaining life, indispensable for our bodies and ecosystems.

Similarly, motivation is the driving force behind our actions and goal achievement.

However, just as water evaporates over time, motivation can also decrease due to the environment and passage of time.

Therefore, to maintain motivation, regular 「refills」 like acquiring new knowledge or stacking up successful experiences are necessary. Like water, motivation should be seen as something that flows continuously, and maintaining this flow is the key to success.

I hope the methods in this article help you effectively refill your motivation.

Thank you for reading this far.

Finally, I’m aiming for 10,000 followers, so if you like the article, it will be very encouraging if you can follow me, comment, clap, etc.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support.