[oatmeal4life]

So I'm taking a very technical course right now that requires me to go out of my way to study things that I don't find particularly interesting.. When I'm on my low days it doesn't really happen and I just end up laying around and going to sleep early. I try to exercise but the same thing happens, when I don't feel motivated to do something I can't seem to pull through and do it. In my defense I work 7 days a week so I should feel a bit exhausted, but I would like to be able to work on some personal goals.

Does anyone have any strategies/tips for staying on track and not getting back into a negative cycle? Like keeping a journal I heard could help; but again, I kept forgetting to do it . It would be nice to get into a routine and maintain it.

[tinyrabbit]

In terms of forgetting stuff, have you tried using some kind of reminder app or website or setting alarms on your phone? I always forget stuff so I set my phone to go off at times when I need reminding about things.

Also, can you set yourself small, achievable tasks - not ones that are too big so you don't do them and feel rubbish? On a low day, trying to exercise seems like a pretty big task to set. How about you back up a little and say that, on a low day, you will get dressed (if that's something you struggle with on tough days) and go for a walk, for example?

I have this habit of setting myself tasks I can't do. Like: tidy the house. Then I feel rubbish. When what I need to do is break it down and start with something like: hoover one room.

[ptangptang]

I recently started a short CBT course and one of the things to do was make a schedule of what you are going to do tomorrow and stick to it. Did i do it?. No of course not. Too simplistic. If i could motivate myself to do that i wouldn't have a problem in the first place. Boy, am i gonna get told off next monday. I dont know what the answer. If i did i'd do it.

[Revu2]

This is a great challenge. I use lots of things cuz nothin works all the time.

One that succeeds a high percentage of the time, though, is to "buy" something I want to do with doing something I don't want to do. For example. I want tickets to a concert (want) and I have to enter my business expenses (don't want). I can "buy" permission from myself to go to the concert by getting the expenses entered.

Another is create very low bars. For example if there's a letter I need to write but don't feel like it, getting the envelope ready (writing out the address and putting the stamp on) might count for enough for today.

In reference to the previous tip, you'll notice I have changed the typical order.

When it comes to studying something, several "light" passes are often better at creating a good memory of the material as trying to be thorough on only one pass. This suggests taking several quick looks at the material. For example: day one: only look at the table of contents and decide what would be the most interesting chapters, and which the least. Day two, look at the bibliography and index. See any familiar names? Day three, read the introduction and try to figure out the writer's style: especially where they put key information. Is it typically near the front of the chapter, middle, or near the end? Where do they put their topical sentences in their paragraphs?

In a speed reading class once we got a great mnemonic, and I forget what it was! Something like Idea - PIE. A writer presents an idea, and then Presents an Illustration or Example. If you grasp the idea, you can skip past the illustration and examples. Whole self-help books are essentially 3 or 4 ideas and many examples. Takes about 30 minutes to pick out the ideas.