Motivational tips for teens is an extract from Be Confident Be You a teenage guide – the brand new book for teens from well-being author Becky Goddard-Hill. You can get your hands on a copy now from Amazon and all good bookshops.
Motivational Tips for Teens
‘Today is your opportunity to build the tomorrow you want’ – Ken Poirot
It can be hard to feel motivated sometimes …
- to keep studying if you just want to hang out with friends
- to keep practising football if you never make the team
There may be times when you start to think ‘why bother?’ But once you find your reason it is easy to reset your path.
2 Steps to Success
The first step in finding your motivation is to ask why something matters, the second is to look at what you can do about it (not what you can’t.)
There are a number of things in life you can’t control (like having to go to school and not getting in the team) but there are way more things you can control.
When you place your focus on what you can control your motivation and your confidence gets a fabulous boost.
Let’s re-look at the areas above in light of this 2-step approach.
Football
Step 1: Think about why you want to be on the team.
Perhaps you love playing footie, enjoy team games and want to be super-fit?
Step 2: Think about what you CAN do to meet those needs (outside of being on the team) and make a plan. You could include …
- Keep practising – (great for fitness)
- Try out for a different team/club
- Get your mates together for a weekly game down at the park
Studying
Step 1: Think about why you need to study.
Perhaps it’s because you want to get good grades, do a degree one day and feel proud.
Step 2 Think about what you CAN do to keep studying, but also see your friends. You could include …
- Create a timetable scheduling in time to see friends and study
- Study with a buddy
- Reward yourself for studying hard with friend-filled Saturdays – for more revision tips read How To Revise for GCSE Success
It is much easier to be motivated if you are super-clear about your WHY and plan around what you CAN do (rather than bemoan what you can’t.) This approach will skyrocket your motivation and fill you with confidence because you will feel in control, and empowered and will want to succeed.
The science behind Motivational Tips for Teens
Teens often get called lazy, but the drop in dopamine (the happy hormone) in your teenage years can really hamper your motivation. Exercise gets your dopamine levels up and makes you more productive so getting up and getting moving is a great way to motivate yourself.
Rewards are highly motivating too. Research shows that rewards are responsible for three-quarters of why people do things. So when you have studied THEN call your friend. Reward yourself for jobs well done.
Activity – Finding your motivation
Think about an area you lack motivation and try the 2 step approach above focusing on you why and listing what you can do, then try putting it into action.
What will you choose?
