Hi everyone,

Feeling a bit disheartened at the moment. It's 4:45pm, I turned my computer on at 9am ready to carry on with one of my MA assignments, and all I've done is written 138 words, and a bit of this and that. I realised that it wasn't going to be a good day so I decided to do something productive and go to the gym as well as go for a swim, hoping that when I got back I'd feel much more energised. But that didn't happen. I've probably done even less this afternoon!

I set myself daily targets, and have achieved about half of them today. When I say daily targets, they are mainly short, easy things that I should be able to within half an hour. But today, I just find myself constantly staring into space!

My question is, how do you cope with lack of motivation? Should I try and finish my daily targets (involving going over an assignment and adding things/taking a few things out)? Or should I just admit defeat for the day and hope tomorrow will be better?

Thanks guys :-)

I wouldn't worry too much about it, worrying is generally counter-productive anyway. You will have good days and bad days, I certainly do and although it really gets me down sometimes, I find the best way to get over it and to feel better is to do some reading, literature searching or little admin tasks like filing. Just anything that isn't writing. I find that after I've read a few papers I'm quite enthusiastic to write something, similarly you might be finding it difficult to write because you're not so confident with what you are writing, so research should help. I don't think your level of motivation is an issue, sounds more like a confidence thing, I know thats my problem anyway....I'm actually quite scared about starting my first MSc assignment!

Exercise should definitely help as well, also try to work out the times of day when you are most productive and stick to working more at those times, and when you feel you need a break, take one. Hope I've helped, Natassia x

sorry you had a bad day.

if it helps to know you aren't alone, I had one of the most miserables days I've had since I started this PhD and have my 3rd day of fieldwork to do from early morning tomorrow followed by 6 hours of teaching and meeting students on Friday.

And did I also say that on one of my three jobs I do to live, a parcel I sent to Egypt with 40 books in it is lost in a town where it was meant to reach an Internet governance forum but never did.

And that I proved to be incapable of doing a simple google search today for my head was clogged.

So we have these days, and I cant offer any advice except that at least one other person on this forum had a crap day as well :-)

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Natassia is right, beating yourself up over a bad day will just make you more demotivated. Instead, congratulate yourself on the things you did do and the exercise you took :) seriously, you've got to give yourself encouragement.

When planning, concentrate on making a realistic task list, ie - not what you could achieve with a day of 100% efficiency (it just doesn't happen) but what you honestly will get done. If today you achieved half what you expected, then try halving your list for tomorrow. When you finish the list you'll feel good, and you'll either have done as much as you honestly can in a day, or you'll get there early and feel so buoyed up that you'll be raring to do more anyway!

Build confidence from carrots, not a beating from sticks, so say confucius :p

Natassia, Phdbug and Teek, thanks so much for replying. Your advice is really appreciated! I'e taken into account what you've said and have actually managed to do a bit more tonight- I've realised that between around 3:30-5pm I appear to be really unproductive and feel really tired, so this is obviously the time when I should be taking a break.

Phdbug- I'm really sorry that things aren't going great for you. I'm sure you'll pick yourself up like I've done and things will seem much better soon.

Natassia- don't be scared about writing your first MSc assignment! I felt exactly the same, but I've now nearly written two short MA assignments, and the challenge was quite exciting, as sad as that sounds!

Thanks again for your replies guys!