Everyone has their own story to tell. Everyone has had an event happen in their life that has made them think about whether or not they are being all they can be right now. Those past events aren’t a weakness, but a motivation. People have an image they would love to grasp. Truth is, if you wanna go somewhere in life or be something amazing, then you have to be the one to make it happen. You can’t rely on people to make it happen for you. As Albert Einstein once said, “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal. Not to people or things”. Motivation today isn’t something that just comes naturally. You have to have a motive, something to push you to keep going. 

     Freshman Megan Tope has this to say about finding motivation, “ Surrounding yourself with good people who support you and help keep you in check is a good way to start”.

     Teens today are struggling with finding motivation. Instead, they stay in their rooms, play on their phones, and don’t do well in school. In society today, teens are under so much pressure to succeed and it tires them out. By having motivation teens will not only work harder, but it gives them something to have and rely on in order to keep going. Jim Rohn once said, “If you want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” It’s not about where or how you start, just start somewhere.

      How to be motivated: First you have to have a goal, something you want to achieve. It doesn’t have to be a big goal, it can start off small and work your way up. Your next step is to start working for/off that. For example, say your goal is to start exercising more. You can’t run a marathon at the start; you have to start with a short distance and move to a longer distance over time. Then you have to continue to improve and increase your distance. In the process of trying to reach your goal, you have to be patient with yourself. If you get frustrated too easily, it’s going to be harder to keep that motivation going. One of the most important things to do is to keep an open mind. If you start doubting yourself or letting something hold you back, that goal is never going to be reached. Use that doubt or holding as fuel to keep persevering.

     Freshman Lucy Wise had some words on what gets her motivated and how she stays motivated. She says, “ What keeps me motivated is looking at the consequences I’ll have if I don’t do something. If I don’t practice for my sport, I probably won’t get that much playing time. If I don’t study for a test I probably won’t do that well on it. I stay motivated, pushing myself to always do my best”. 

      Just remember this: the top students in each class don’t just get to be top students because of who they are. They are top students because of how hard they work. About 76% of all undergraduate students that have been surveyed identify a lack of motivation (NASFAA.org). One of the biggest reasons why teens lack motivation is fear and failure. They feel as though they can’t do it or if they try they won’t succeed. When you find a motive or a person to support you, you’ll achieve your goals.