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  • So a few months ago I posted a video on how I studied for internal medicine shelf exam.

  • The most popular comment on that video asked for how to study when you don't feel like it.

  • This is actually a pretty common request.

  • I get this question all the time, like how to get motivated and stay motivated

  • and even how to get motivated to exercise and eat healthy.

  • So today's video is going to be all about motivation and how to stay motivated.

  • According to Google, motivation is "the general desire or willingness to do something"

  • It's funny because sometimes there are days where we feel extra motivated

  • and feel like we can do anything.

  • Gym? No problem.

  • Study for several hours? Lets go!

  • But then there are days where we don't feel like doing anything all.

  • So my first tip is to automate your motivation.

  • Let me explain!

  • Every day I have to make small choices like what time should I wake up, what should I wear,

  • what should I work on, should I go for a workout, what should I eat for lunch, what about dinner?

  • Should I do more practice questions?

  • Should I watch an episode of Fresh Prince?

  • What time should I go to bed?

  • All these small decisions can get overwhelming and sometimes leads us to make bad choices.

  • There is actually a term for it.

  • It's called "decision fatigue."

  • "Decision fatigue" is refers to the deteriorating quality of decisions made by an individual

  • after a long session of decision making.

  • A good example would be eating unhealthy and not working out after a long day at work.

  • One way to overcome "decision fatigue" is to limit the decisions you make in a day.

  • For example the late Steve Jobs famously wore the same outfit every day.

  • Mark Zuckerberg does too and even President Obama!

  • In an interview with Vanify Fair he said:

  • You'll see I wear only gray or blue suits. I'm trying to pare down decisions.

  • I don't want to make decisions about what I'm eating or wearing

  • because I have too many other decisions to make.”

  • Wearing the same thing everyday is one way of automating and limiting the decisions you

  • make but there are other ways of automating your decisions like prepping your meals for

  • the week so you don't have to decide on what to for during lunch.

  • Or having a workout routine so you know exactly what you're working out out on that day.

  • But I think one of the best way(s) to limit decisions you have to make is to use a calendar or a

  • schedule to make a routine.

  • So when it comes to making a routine,

  • it should be personalized to the type of person you are.

  • We all have different personalities and preferences, so if you're a night owl, then maybe you

  • should schedule your work or study sessions at night.

  • Likewise, if you're more productive in the morning then you should do the opposite and

  • schedule your work sessions during the day.

  • You should also consider where you feel the most productive.

  • For example, some people prefer studying alone in a room with little or no distraction while

  • others prefer studying in the library or coffee shops.

  • It goes back to the meaning of motivation which isthe general desire or willingness

  • to do somethingso if you place yourself in a setting where it's optimized to your

  • preferences, then your willingness to do work will come by easier and you don't have to

  • rely on the random bursts of motivation.

  • Stephen King once saidAmateurs sit and wait for inspiration,

  • the rest of us just get up and go to work.”

  • I think that's true for most successful people.

  • One example is Serena Williams.

  • Before she was tennis super star, she had to practice a lot.

  • When she was a little kid, her life was described like this:

  • “...get up, 6 o'clock in the morning, go to tennis court before school.

  • After school, go to tennis.

  • But it was consistency.

  • I hate to put it like this, but it's like training an animal.

  • You can't just be sometime-y with it.”

  • So in the end, the whole idea of a routine is to get you to a position where everything

  • is automated and you don't have to think about your next move.

  • It's has already been decided.

  • If you're already at the library or the coffee shop, or at the tennis court, your

  • choice has been madeyou're there to get some work done.

  • When it comes to making a routine or a schedule building, I find that what works best for

  • me is having combination of an electronic calendar and a physical to-do list.

  • But even this can be personalized to your preferences, some people like using agendas

  • and bullet journals, while others like using some sort of electronic calendar.

  • I don't think there is a universalbestmethod of keeping track of your routine.

  • I would say the best one for you is the one you're going to stick with long term.

  • So let's say you have your routine and it's optimized to who you are, naturally,

  • the follow-up question is "How do I stay motivated on achieving my goals?"

  • One way to do it is to break down big goals into smaller, more-manageable tasks.

  • A pretty common resolution for new years resolutioners is to get healthy and lose some weight.

  • Getting healthy and losing weight may be a daunting task at first, and may cause you

  • to lose motivation especially if you don't see results at first.

  • Breaking it down to smaller, more achievable tasks can help you stay on track and not lose motivation.

  • So if the big goal is to get healthy, we can break it down to smaller but easier, more

  • concrete tasks, like exercising 45 minutes a day for 3-4 times a week, or meal prepping

  • for the whole week.

  • For me, whenever I finish a smaller task, it gives me a sense of accomplishment, which

  • feels good and helps me stay motivated with the bigger picture.

  • So there you have it!

  • Those are my tips on self motivation and how to stay motivated.

  • Comment below on... Hey!

  • Comment below how you guys stay motivated.

  • And as a reminder I have some new stationery items at the store at thestrivetofit.com

  • so don't forget to check it out!

  • Hope you guys enjoyed the video!

  • Don't forget to like and subscribe and I will see you guys next time.

  • Bye!

So a few months ago I posted a video on how I studied for internal medicine shelf exam.

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