Most of us have to face challenges for which it is necessary to learn through methods that are not always fun or enjoyable. It’s a fact: there is a lot of content that is not accessible enough by itself for us to be eager to jump on it to learn here and now. Learning requires effort, because learning is not there to make us have fun; that is not its function.

In this article we will review several ways to encourage you to study , to find ways to motivate yourself, and not to let procrastination or the “I’ll do it tomorrow” syndrome get the better of you.

How to encourage yourself to study

At a certain stage of adulthood and mental maturity, most of us know that studying brings us great benefits. On the one hand, it has been proven that having had a successful educational career gives us many more possibilities to earn more money and live better in general, and on the other hand, we should not forget that knowing more gives us a greater capacity to make well-founded decisions.

However, when it comes to standing in front of a sheet of paper with notes, a book or a computer screen , laziness and the desire to be doing something else often tempt us to get out of the way. One thing is our emotional side and quite another is that emotional side of us, for which medium or long term goals are not as valuable as the appetites of the present.

Fortunately, we can use intelligent strategies to act on ourselves and our environment in a rational way and make us feel more motivated to study. That emotional part that asks us to go out for fresh air or rest will always be there, but we can make sure it doesn’t affect us negatively or even play into our hands.

Here are a few tips to encourage you to study and make the most of those hours of study to make the sacrifice worthwhile and not simply disorganized chaos.

1. Hide all temptations

It’s a very simple trick, but it’s also basic. Our environment conditions enormously how we study, and that’s why we must make sure has a disposition that favors our learning and that doesn’t put obstacles in our way. Motivating oneself is not a task that is carried out in one’s mind through private mental processes that are invisible to the outside eye: the outside counts, and a lot.

So, work actively to physically hide anything that might distract you. Some classic examples of such elements are food, speakers playing music, or friends or family claiming our attention. But we must also take into account the digital environment . If social networks are very distracting, seriously consider finding ways to avoid their influence. For example, stand far away from a screen device connected to the Internet, block certain websites during your study, etc.

2. Give yourself few excuses to get up

This is another tip that goes along the lines of the previous one, and basically consists of reducing the chances of you finding yourself in a situation where you have to get up . For example, make sure you have a bottle of water at hand, all the study materials gathered in one place, the right light, etc.

3. Set very specific goals

A great way to encourage you to study is to segment your homework into smaller pieces that you can easily reach. This way, you will have a sense of progression that will encourage you to keep studying. For example, if you need to read and learn the content of a 40-page document, set yourself a sequence of 4 objectives, one for every ten pages read. If you prefer, you can give yourself a small reward for completing each of these segments, but you probably won’t need to, because finishing each stage will already make you feel good. Which leads us to the next piece of advice.

4. Sit in front of the material to be studied and memorize a sentence

This is a variant of a trick for creating creative content, according to which to create something and get out of writer’s block you have to sit down and write a sentence. The key is that the most difficult thing is to start, and once we have taken the first step, the desire to complete what has been started will automatically pull us forward .

5. Plan a goal when you reach a very important objective

You can combine the small rewards with larger and more meaningful ones to make this more motivating . For example, at the end of your day’s study, you can go to eat at your favourite place, or go for a walk in a quiet place where you can disconnect and forget about your homework.

6. Test yourself

After studying, it’s good to review what you’ve learned in your mind, asking yourself questions about what you’ve seen. This is a stimulating task about something you know at least partially about, so it will make you want to know more in order to solve the doubts that arise. The feeling of challenge creates a certain tension, but it can also be very pleasant , and the fact that after several attempts the result is satisfactory makes us feel good.