Have you ever struggled with staying on task or pushing yourself to try new things? There are many methods on how to solve this problem. Some people choose to study on their own, while others choose to study in groups. Learning how to improve your everyday life improves not only your motivation, but also your will to test your skills.
Kailey Goodrich, a junior at Hastings Senior High, has been in show choir since eighth grade. Since the age of three, Kailey has been able to dance and is putting her skills to a new level by doing show choir. She is passionate about the group and is excited to learn this year’s new moves and vocals.
“What motivates me is my friends, and Mr. Yost actually motivates me in staying in show choir, not that I would leave of course, but my friends motivate me and knowing I get to travel a lot more (motivates me),” Goodrich said.
Motivation applies to many different things, such as sports and academics. Along with Goodrich’s hobby of dance, she has been studying more to keep herself on task with school. In the past two years, she would prefer to get her work done either at night or before school. Now, she gets it done during class or right when classes are done for the day.
“This year I’ve been studying a lot more, I’ve been doing way better in classes than I have in previous years…I have actually been on top of studying when I need to for upcoming tests, exams, or whatever…” Goodrich said.
Everyone has different study habits, such as studying with a partner, alone, with music, etc. Junior Nataly Morales Rubalcava, prefers to work with someone she can depend on to keep her on task when her mind decides to wander but also prefers to work alone if it is what’s best for her and her classmates.
“I usually prefer studying with a friend, if I have a lot of questions on the topic. But most of the time I tend to study alone because I tend to focus better and distract my peers less, and I get distracted less as well.”
A common distraction Morales Rubalcava has come to face is finding herself becoming too distracting to herself and her friends. She immediately gets herself back on task by making sure her door is shut if she is at home. Another distraction would be that many people struggle with phone use. Morales has a habit of putting her phone on airplane mode when she finds it difficult to focus on the task at hand.
“I put focus mode and airplane mode just to make sure I don’t get distracted.”
When finding it difficult to focus on homework, sports practices, rehearsals, meetings and other tasks, it is important to stop yourself before you drift too far from your goal. It is not only important, but motivation is helpful in everyday life to keep plans flowing smoothly.
