Dear Suzie,
This may sound a little trivial compared to some other letters, but I’m halfway through my summer break from universtiy and I’m finding it difficult to motivate myself to get back into academic work. I know I need to do some soon, but it always looks as if I can put it off further, and it never seems appealing. I can force myself to do it, but I don’t feel all too enthusiastic about it, and I was wondering if you could give me advice on motivating myself to get back into it.
This might sound silly, but I was thinking of a sort of ‘work diary’, where for a few weeks I could record the sorts of doubts and objections I posed myself to better get a grip on how to combat this negativity- what do you think?
Thanks
Nothing that is a worry is trivial. As for your diary suggestion – Good idea! It’s an excellent strategy, to chart your excuses and protests, your doubts and misgivings. When you put them on paper it’s easier to understand and tackle them. One thing I will tell you – and you’re hearing here from someone who is an inveterate deadline cruncher, well practiced in the art of procrastination; once you start working, you tend to regain your enthusiasm. It’s often easier, too. Avoidance and denial are actually far harder work that actually getting stuck in to the job at hand.