Throughout the long and cold months of winter, I find it easier to stay focused because there aren’t many fun things to do. When the weather gets warm I can go outside for longer periods of time and I start to forget about the things I need to get done. Because of this, I’ve had to develop some methods of motivation so I can actually complete my homework.

The first way that I motivate myself is by sitting outside. Yes, it sounds like I could get easily distracted, but I try my best not to by reminding myself of the awards that await me. If I sit out on the deck, I am able to see everything fun that I get to enjoy once I am done working. I can see my cute puppy if he’s out, my family’s garden, pretty flowers, and some fun yard games. It works well because I just want to get my work done fast so I can go fool around.

Another technique I use to stay motivated and get stuff done is making plans outside at a certain time. I will sometimes contact my neighbor and set up a time to meet outside. I then grind for as much time as I have before I have to head out. That helps keep me on track because I know that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I know I have a fun reward with a good friend later.

Setting a timer is the overall main thing I do to keep my motivation up. I will work for a certain amount of time and then take a break and do something that reminds me of summer for a little while. One example of a way I could do this is I work for 75 minutes, and then restock my family’s garage mini fridge full of drinks for about 15 minutes. It would give me such a fun taste of summer because when it’s hot outside I always love to grab a cold drink to quench my thirst.

My last resort is to bribe myself with snacks. It sounds silly but it works. Say I pour 20 chocolate chips into a bowl. I would then give myself five after every assignment as a fun treat for doing things. I will always hurry and do my work so I can indulge in my yummy food.

Everyone has different ways that they motivate themselves. It took me a lot of trial and error to finally discover some methods that work for me, so I can get my work done on time. Now that I have found good methods, I hope to continue to use them throughout the rest of my high school experience.