I am pretty intelligent, but I am losing the spark to study and work hard. I am getting lazier and more and more distracted. What should I do?

Sol Ne S.
I need to manage my time more wisely. There are plenty of hours in the day, but am just not utilizing, which in turn makes me do everything last minute and rushed. If I wake up early and utilize my time earlier, I’ll have more time to get things done. I also need to structure my time, as well as removing distractions and myself from distracting situations. This will help me to get things done faster and be more productive.
Ricky P.
Eat and sleep in a schedule. drink plenty of water. Get checked for ADHD, depression, other mental health issues. Make sure your environment is healthy. Get in touch with your goals and motivations. schedule time leisure and time for studying and get into a streak. try therapy! it saved my life
Josef Z.
You have to find something that you really like or that will help you to achieve something you want, for example my couple lives in Germany so everyday I study German although I find other things more interesting, but is what I have to do to be able one day to live there.
Another thing to motivate me studying is using books or videos that are entertaining. for example if I want to study maths, there are many fantastic videos on YouTube
Ray U.
The body and mind crave oscillation. Which basically means we get tired of doing the same thing over and over again. We crave variety. Try changing the location you study/work or the time of day you study/work or the people you study/work with! (If you don't study or work with anyone, try it, even if only once a week. This has the added benefit of creating an accountability partner for you.)
Randy Z.
You are NOT lazy. You aren't. Just because your energy level isn't where you want it to be or your mind isn't where you think it should be, that doesn't make you lazy or bad or any of the other terrible things we can think about ourselves. And I emphasize that because I don't think we can shame ourselves into the behaviours we want. Instead we need to look at the barriers and work with ourselves. There is no enemy. There is just you and finding the way you work the best.

Ok. So, once you forgive yourself for not being perfect, you can think about what would be the bare minimum for you to accomplish to work towards your goal. What would be manageable that you could do consistently? What do you have the energy for? What are you able to do every day that gently expand your limits instead of trying to surpass them in a way that is unsustainable? And this can vary depending on what's going on in your life. Be conscious of that too

And finally, it's about consistency, not perfection. By 6 or 7 every night, let go of the day and prepare for tomorrow. Every day wake up and keep trying. And don't be afraid to adjust if something isn't working. You can do this.

Camille P.
As a student myself, I can tell you that I totally understand what you mean and that it's perfectly normal to feel that way sooner or later in your path.

Recently, upon realizing I needed to get myself together to prepare a bunch of exams for uni, I created a routine which I knew would work for me and get me in the mood.

So here's the first thing I can suggest: use what you personally find relaxing. People can tell you to listen to music while studying; I've been told the same, but after finding out that it has the exact opposite effect on me, I couldn't add it to my personal routine. For example, during winter I find that comfy warm clothes, a cup of tea and some relaxing ambience music on my speaker (low volume) really makes me concentrate amazingly!

I find that sounds and physical activity have the special power to stimulate and create the right environment. So take your time to figure out what works for you. Try different routines out and I'm sure that eventually you'll find the right one!

Megan J.
Find a job or commitment that relies on you being somewhere outside in the morning.
I good start to the day sets the tone.
Spending time outside always motivates me.
S Li N.
Exercise daily, take practice exams or tutor someone in your field, learn a new subject even something like a new instrument or something- but only spend a 30 minutes or so on this on this on a daily basis only so that you can go back and focus on your main goal and subject you are studying.
Lauren U.
I have been in a similar situation, and when I got to the bottom of the issue I discovered that I am an anxious person; every time I come across new things. my inner critic was savage.
You need to dive into why you feel this way. Sometimes being lazy is an avoidance mechanism. The question is what is that about studying you are trying to avoid?
Felix N.
Remember your target. Remember what you want to be. And think how you can reach there. Now make some realistic goals and split tasks into bits and pieces. Just get started. Use this app for the purpose.
Selma Z.
It helps me to really internalize why I'm studying. Why is it important? Do I care about it? If I'm not interested in a subject can I find something about it to hook my curiousity into? Once I have my motivation situated I remind myself that every session I miss I will never be able to make up. Making up study time is a lie we tell ourselves. We will never get that time back.
Kayla U.
The biggest obstacle is figuring out what motivates you and then using that to your advantage. Do you like rewards, the sense of accomplishment, or something else?

For studying, you will need to find a way to make the topic interesting to yourself. You are more likely to be resistant to study if your topic is undesirable or repugnant. If it is a topic that you have no choice in studying, then split it up into manageable chunks. Personally, I am doing a challenge to study 30 minutes everyday of 2019. I can study longer if I choose to, but I am committed to at least 30 minutes.

For work, that is a bit more complicated. If you are referring to your job, then I would imagine that your compensation should be sufficient motivation. Earning promotions and other perks would be also. If you are not interested in working hard in your job, perhaps it is time to consider a line of work that is more fulfilling. When you are happy with your profession, working hard is second nature.

If you are talking about work at home, that one is a little tougher since you have to provide your own form of compensation. If rewards don't work for you, try doing chores in minute intervals. For example… You can wash dishes for 10 minutes. If you are absolutely uninterested in finished the dishes after 10 minutes, then stop and go about your day. You at least got some of it done. You might find it easier to complete the job once you have already started.

Marshall J.
Just stop procastination and start doing what you love. Start from the subject you like the most and then move on to next. For maths you can play math games on phone. Khan academy app is helpful if you can't study by your own. The best way to avoid distraction is to use them for your productivity. When you are studying on your phone it will no longer be a distraction for you. Try to take online coachings as well. If you really want to score good then work as hard as you can and learn in your way. Only clearing the concepts of a chapter will give you best understanding than learning it by hard. I know you can do this! And you are going to rock your exams! Good luck.
Marius P.
Remember that this happens to all of us. None of us are perfect but only trying to better ourselves. Set some new daily goals and remember to RIG THE GAME SO THAT YOU WIN. Pick achievable yet meaningful things to help get you back on track. So if that's meditation – DO IT. If it's taking only 3 minutes to read before bed – DO IT. Sometimes we just need a reset to help us realize what is important and to recreate systems that may not have been working for us
Uaira E.
Be sure to get the proper amount of sleep for your age, and set a timer every so often when studying( i usually take breaks every 30ish minutes to stretch) so you can collect yourself and refocus
Jeppe P.
Perhaps this is just a matter of passion. Don't study to become smarter so much as studying things because they feed your passions, your deeper needs. Lately I've been reading philosophy for this reason.
Emilie T.
Try reshifting your schedule or taking breaks during the periods that you feel lazy. Also it doesn't hurt to take a few days and reset your mind.
Eden E.
First, forgive yourself. Then remind yourself why you're doing what you do. Assess your goals for your future self and the happiness your gonna feel after achieving them. Then I challenge you to just get started on a smaller goal and see where that takes you.
Heinz Q.
You should set yourself a time to start studying and probably even a remider. To get you do it you should set yourself a reward so after you finish, and that will help you want to get through it. After you finish studying your reward can be a treat or to take a break or go somewere like a place to enjoy yoursef etc.
Lauren E.
Sometimes the reason you lose motivation is because you are suffering from burnout. Reflect on nonessential things in your life that you can cut out to give yourself more time to focus on living a healthier lifestyle. This will give you the energy and perseverance to tackle your schoolwork with more enthusiasm. Also, try doing schoolwork in small segments each day instead of trying to write an entire paper the night before. And don't forget to reward yourself!
Sophia Q.
Hi ! This issue is very familiar for me , because, I've came across alike situations very often when I was doing my advanced level examination. So, I'll tell you few things that helped me to get back to work. I think these will help you even a bit.
1. Give yourself a goal
Imagine that you are going to face a maths exam next week. Tell yourself that you must get 80 marks for the paper. Write it on a paper in big letters and place it in front of your study table.(and wherever you see very often). Then, whenever you get bored, after seeing your goal , you say to yourself " yes , I can do that, I will get 80 marks for the maths exam!. So I have to work now !". Believe me , this will definitely work for you. When I was doing my ordinary level exam , I wrote " I will get 9A s" in front of my study table. And at the end, even I didn't attend any supportive classes and even I was going through some miserable experiences, I got 9A s for the exam!. So, try it!

2. Be careful about your feelings
As humans it's normal to get bored and tired. But, it's okay if you feel so after doing something for a Long time like half and hour or 2,3 hours.( Don't engage in the same thing for more than an hour, take a break !). But, if you feel boring after doing nothing, you must connect with yourself and recognize that feeling as a bad feeling;" I feel sooo lazy, but I didn't do anything, this feeling is bad for me, this feeling is going to prevent me from achieving my goal. NO ! I don't let this feeling to stop me ! It's time to get back to work !".

3.Keep yourself busy
Make a to-do list including your studies. (ex: write the essay, do maths homework, Read the text etc.). Get up early and start your work.(make sure you have a 8-6 hours sleep) After completing each task, give yourself a treat. Encourage yourself! ; "Wow ! Great! I did it. ! I can move on ! " Do something make you happy ! . Then move to the next task! At the end of the day reflect on the day and smile ! ; "I completed all the tasks !" .

And , you know that you can do your best ! Don't overwork ! You must get a break after every hour of work. Be happy! Help others to learn, it will improve your knowledge also. Always remind yourself that you can do anything and your time is precious !
Good luck !