Courtesy of JST Coaching & Training
The Struggle is Real
It’s the final quarter, and we’ve blasted through almost every possible assigned break we’ve been given. Even though we still have one more marking period to get through, most of our brains have already registered for a seat at the summer break table. We’re tired, we’re drained. We keep counting until Friday…, and then Friday comes and goes just like last weekend. We complain about how short the weekend was; then we go back to school the following Monday to repeat the cycle—waiting for the final countdown to be here at last. It can feel like a struggle to stay motivated and keep the same momentum we might have built up last summer. However, when you feel like the going gets tough, that’s when the tough get going—further developing that resilience and pushing through.
The Final Stretch
It can feel challenging because it’s the end of the school year, and we tend to lose focus and motivation, but that’s precisely when it’s time to lock in. The final stretch is when it counts. So, to keep pushing forward and stay resilient. Here are a few tips for how to stay on task:
- Evaluate the Tasks at Hand
When we lose focus, we often need to remember our primary goal and where our priorities lie. When that happens, it’s good to sit with yourself and do some note-taking, either mental, digital, or literal. That way, you’ll have your plans/goals laid out in front of you to reassess your priorities and take a look at the next goal to accomplish. This is a great way of organizing not only mentally but will also help you situate yourself academically in a way that encourages refocus.
- Change the Narrative (Herzing University)
Once you have established what your goals are and where your priorities lie. Then, the next best thing to do is to start seeing your tasks at hand from a different light. It can be so easy to see things through the utmost down and dreary way. But shifting your mindset from negative to positive will ultimately help make you feel more motivated. Think of the task as in: okay, this is what I need to do right now, so that later I can have such and such.
- Celebrate the Small Victories
It can be so easy for us to only see the big tasks at hand as a victory worth celebrating, like finishing that argumentative essay due at 11:59 pm or submitting that group project that you and your mates have been busy with for the past week. However, acknowledging and giving yourself credit for minor victories like finishing one of your homework assignments or getting 15-30 minutes of studying in is also vitally important when building resilience and persistence. Every step completed or accomplishment made towards that main goal is worth the recognition, no matter how little or small. This type of thinking will improve your mind-set and boost your motivation and self-esteem as you push through in that final stretch.
Main Idea
If you only get one thing out of this, I want you to remember that you’re almost there! Don’t lose faith; pace yourself, and keep your eye on the prize. You’re in a marathon, and you’re towards the finish line; this may be the time in the race where people start to cramp up or feel like throwing up and maybe even need a bathroom break, but this is the time to focus in and push through (Mr. Marrone). Hang in there and give this last quarter your best effort as we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). The effort you put in will amount to the rewards you reap later; if you do things to the best of your ability now, then you’ll end up with some mighty results at the end.
