Tips for Increasing Motivation During Graduate School

1. Create opportunities for "autonomy supportive" work. If your supervisor does not support autonomous thought and activity, try to off-set this by seeking outside activities which give you choice, volition and freedom.

2. Reflect on whether your values and goals are congruent with the external needs and goals.

3. Develop mastery in skills, knowledge, and behaviours requisite for your area of studying.

4. Connect with people with whom you can share ideas. If you feel isolated, join a support group or use the online dissertation support website www.phinished.org.

5. Reward your efforts and accomplishments. Pay attention to your own feelings of intrinsic reward (satisfaction, pride, relief from pressure, etc). Earn your pleasure.

6. Observe when you are becoming uncomfortable thinking or doing particular tasks. Discomfort is a signal: "Am I unsure, bored, scared, out of my depth...?" What is appealing or fearful about this activity? Experience the discomfort and soon it will have less power over you.

7. Act like the person you wish to become. Picture yourself as already having reached your goal, or being successful. What do you look like? What are you doing? Where are you? Bring this image to mind as you start undesirable activities.

8. BELIEVE in yourself. Reflect on times when you've been motivated. What is similar between those times and now? Can you make small changes so this situation is more like those times?

9. Make a promise and keep your word

• Set a specific long- range goal and break it into smaller steps or goals. Be clear in your intentions.
• Tell someone, and ask them to follow your progress. Be accountable.
• Keep a log or journal of your goals and achievements.

10. Develop a routine. Link a new activity with one that you do routinely. e.g. do your sit-ups (new activity) before drinking your morning coffee (old habit).

11.Reduce the pressure. Move a deadline forward 2 weeks if you like to work under lots of pressure.

12. Go to the Motivation module for more strategies.