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Comments
I just think to my past and working a few different jobs with my current education. It just wasn't something I was interested in doing for the long term. I also think to the future and am genuinely excited to start law school itself and become a lawyer.
I've always repeated something I read in a great book; motivation is going to wax and wane. You can't rely on it to get long term goals accomplished. I tend to really think if you want to do something long term like successfully prep for the lsat, especially when retaking, you need to develop discipline to just sit down and do it. It's not always fun, but I feel good after a productive day of prep!
I do a few things. I would often, and still do, think about the end goal: being a lawyer. The opportunity to represent a client or argue in front of a judge or write an awesome contract motivates me because I know that's why I'm putting in the work now.
I also had a list of LSAT pump up songs, and "My Shot" from Hamilton was always first up. If you enjoy musicals or history at all, it'll get your blood pumping.
I'm sure lots of other folks here have great motivational tips as well!
Thoughts of receiving an acceptance phone call/email from my dream school is all I need.
For real! Love that song and plenty others that helped get me pumped!
Also, I forget to mention in my last comment, but sometimes just going for a run in the am helps to get me pumped!
My motivation comes from the test itself. I cannot let this damn test beat me. I AM capable of my goal score and school. Every wrong answer, low score, or confusing stimulus is another thing to propel myself off of.
I wake up every single day and realize if I give everything I have TODAY, down the road I may live in a multi-million dollar home. Sounds superficial, but nothing cool about no hot water and leaky ceilings.
1) I never tried in high school, so making myself try and see what I can accomplish is a really big motivator
2) being able to tell my family friends that I got into X Law School.
3) I keep a screenshot of Yale's medians always open on my desk. It's pretty damn motivating knowing that 25% of those accepted had a score of 176. That means I can do that as well.
4) One of my favorite quotes that I've found is "Don't count the days; make the days count."
As far as external motivation goes, if you're having trouble actually sitting down to study, the pomodoro method is great. Also setting little goals for yourself; 30 minutes of LSAT prep a day. That's it. And if you feel motivated to do more, do more. If not, well, you just did two problem sets!
motivation is going to wax and wane.
THIS! so true.
Love this! My go-to song is Long Live the Chief by Jidenna
I am so stealing this. Yale is my dream school as well. I love your glass half full thinking. Some people might place themselves into the 75% of people who don't score a 176; I like to put myself in the 25% who will.
Thanks everyone! I really like the idea of a pump-up song. Don't know why I didn't think of that!
I guess another factor in my lack of motivation is that I already got into the school I want to go to, but I'm delaying it a year to try to get more scholarship money. For some reason the money isn't as much as a motivator as simply getting in haha.
BUT! I also really like the idea of "Just 30 min and if I feel motivated to do more, do it!" I think I can definitely do that - something's better than nothing at all! (:
Motivation is something that comes and goes for me. What is driving me is that I'm finally ready to go to Law School. I took the LSAT 10 years ago and didn't do well, so I just shelved it. I've realized that I really do want to be an attorney and, in order to accomplish that goal, I need to get through the LSAT.
Motivation is a struggle. I'll use an example from when I was in Officer Candidate School (Army). We were doing a 5 mile release run. The rules were: You had to finish in under a certain time, you could not stop or you failed and were kicked out of the course, and the results impacted your class rank and what branch you could pick. I absolutely did not want to finish that run, it sucked, but I powered through it.
Studying for the LSAT reminds of that. The process is awful, but there's a payoff at the end. Law School. Becoming an attorney.
Make sure you pace yourself. If you're a rough go of it and start making mistakes, take a break. Make sure you give yourself enough time to do something you enjoy occasionally.