The Ultimate Guide to Staying Motivated during a Quarantined School Year

You’ll never be able to lie to yourself again about all the things you’d get done if you ‘just had the time’. For some this is a big bummer, but if you look on the bright side it means no excuses, you’ve always got time to learn & grow! Whether it’s picking up a new instrument, learning to cook, getting into a lasting exercise routine or learning about a new topic that excites you there’s never been a better time to get motivated &be noteworthy. And this is true year round.

Motivation is its own can of worms to deal with, even without a global pandemic going on in the background. Students these are days have a greater sense of responsibility than ever before andnowthe stakes for their futuresare higher than ever.This kind of pressure can stack up quickly and it’s easy to get blindsided by it if you’re not paying close enough attention to what matters. Last summer we interviewed a recent graduate from Umass Amherst toget a sense of what it’s like to try & stay motivated during thesechallengingtimes:

There’s so many strategies & tips online for how to get motivated it’s easy to get stuck just reading through everyone's advice! For example if you're struggling with Monday's in specific you can check out this fellow Ultimate Guide on beating the Monday Blues: https://ivypanda.com/blog/how-to-beat-the-monday-blues/ Even though it seems like this years been canceled there’s still plenty of waysto stay busy & have fun! Here at Hamelin, we’ve sorted through all the major motivational advice for you & we noticed a few recurring themes we think will be helpful. 

1.) First off: momentum is key, sometimes a little push is all it takes to get the ball rolling. Here’s an analogy: It’s like trying to clean a very messy room, if you start by envisioning all the steps involved with vacuuming, organizing those video games, sifting through the trash & folding all the clothes it can quickly spiral into a daunting & arduous endeavor. The best way to go about it is by starting with an easy task that’s very achievable and working from there. Even a small feeling of accomplishment can go a long way to picking up momentum, next thing you knowyour on your way to being noteworthy full steam ahead! 
Start with an achievable goal; whatever that means to you. Maybe aim for 5 push-ups a day, learn how to use 1 new ingredient this week, learn 2 new chords this afternoon. It might not seem likemuch but these little steps forward can lead to big strides in the future. 

2.) The power of writing things down. Here’s a question: what’s the difference between dreams & goals? Goals arejustdreams you’ve written down! List making is a great way to organize your attempts & track your progress. Don’t feel bad about adding little achievements to the list, the more things you check off the more accomplished you’ll feel. No need to invest in a mahogany-bound planner, or start a subscription with a fancy organizational app. If you set your mind to it just goodol’ fashioned pen & paper will do the trick. With Hamelin's free SCRIBZEE® app you can keep your lists right in your phone,organized & color-coded at all times. If you don’t put too much thought into it; the process of writing with pen & paper can seem a little pointless (no pun intended) & antiquated. Why would you put in extra effort when it’s easier & quicker to perform the same tasks digitally? While lots of tasks are done faster digitally that doesn’t always mean the better for the outcome. 

3.) Focus, focus, focus! It’smoreeasyto getdistracted than ever before, between your mobile devices, social media updates, sporadic news cycles & actual workit can be hard to find a balance thatconsistently brings results.Take a little time out of your day & think abouthow long you can focus on a taskas well as how long it takes you to get that task done right.It will most likely depend on the task itself & where you are in the process.Most YouTube videos end up being around 8-10 minutes in length because that’s about how long the average attention span is.Knowing how your brain works & being mindful of itsweaknesses & strengths is a great way to stay focused on being motivated to achieve your goals! 

We can tell your feeling motivated to tackle your problems already! Be careful though, it’s easy to gettooexcited about all the progress you’re going to make before you’ve made any at all. To helpavoid thatwe’re going to dive right into the specifics and look at some great examples for ways you canstart achieving today! 

Music- Music is a great way to fill the free time in your schedule & come out more talentedon the other side! Did you know there are numerous benefits to picking up aninstrument? According to astudy fromCampbellsville University learning an instrument can result in: “Improved Test Scores”“Enhanced Cognitive Skills” & “Better societal & psychological outcomes”. All that is on top of it just being fun to do!So what are you waiting for? Get your hands on an instrument & start practicing today. With Hamelin FLASH 2.0 Index Cards memorizing chord structures & scales has never been easier so whether you’re just starting out with beginner songs or already a master maestrobe sure to take advantageHamelin's usefulproducts. 

Exercise- Everyone has a different relationship with exercise & it often never stays the same throughout the years. Whether it’s a hobby to relax or a cornerstone of your routine a good exercisehabit can go a long way for your mental & physicalwellbeing.With gyms closed it’s easier than ever to get stuck in a rut & slow your progress to a halt, especially now that we’re into the winter season. Motivation snowballs in bothdirections, meaning the more motivated you are the easier it getsto achieveyour goalsover time, but on theflip side thelonger you areun-motivated, the more exponentially difficult it gets to get back to your motivated status quo. Be wary of your overall progress & take some time to track your long term & short-term exercise goals in your notebook for best results.

Cooking- Cooking is a great way to learn about your history & family origins while still getting to try new flavors & ideas. Remember that one secret family recipethat brings you back to your childhood with a single bite! No need to put it off any longer, get in touch with your parents or grandparents and ask them how they made it taste so good. It’s easy to lose track of recipes & notesabout what works best when everything's online, jot down your favorite recipes of all time & keep a hard copy right in your kitchen so you’ll never lose it!No need to be afraid if you’re a beginner, check out this greatlink to help those who are interested learn a new skill. 

Learning a Language-Learning a language is a free way to better yourself for years to come but it’s far from easy. The biggest obstacle to mastering a new language is simply the time it takes. Repetition & familiaritydon’t come quick & logging hours of experience with foreign phrases & nomenclature canstack up in a short amount of time. The fix? Start now! If you fold language learning into your daily schedule for just a fewminutes aday you’ll start to see results in no time. When you pair Hamelinflashcards with theScribzee app you get an easy wayto know what you’ve mastered & focus on what still needs improvement. 

Hopefully between thesefour categories you’ll find something you can dive into to start being noteworthy today!We know it can be overwhelming to stay motivated with everything goingon so we hope our advice & tips come in handy!If you think this advice could help someone you know send them a link to the article.Let us know how you’re trying to stay motivated this year & what works best for you. Even as the weather starts getting colder it’s still imported to stay just as motivated as before.Be sure to follow us on our social media channels for more great tips & daily inspiration on how tobe the best version of yourself!