8 Steps on How to Get you Motivated to Write your Thesis

Motivation can be tricky, especially if it involves months of work, such as writing a thesis. While talking with acquaintances who also went through the same hurdle as me, I noticed 8 crucial steps that encouraged us to write our thesis. Hopefully, these steps are as useful to you as it was for us.

Let's get started.

1. Reflecting on why you are doing your thesis

Think about how meaningful your thesis is for others in the community and why you need to finish your thesis. You can do this at the start of writing your thesis, but I noticed that this approach also helped me midway. It served as a reminder of why I was writing my thesis in the first place.

2. Asking yourself why you don't feel like writing

Is it because you don't know what to write about? Or you just came back from a vacation? Or something else? Understanding why you do not want to write can make you more aware of the underlying reasons and start thinking of possible solutions to tackle them.

3. Determining your environment preference

The environment where you are can also affect your motivation to write your thesis. Think about the following question:

Do you like to study alone or with others?

If you like to study alone, organize your "study" room/space in a way that makes it attractive for you/motivates you to work on your thesis. Or, depending on your preference to study in a quiet or social place and the COVID restrictions, you could go to the library or café.

If you like to study with others, contact your classmates or friends that are also writing their thesis. Alternatively, you can look for (online) study groups. Sometimes schools organize support groups where you can join. Another option is to check with your study advisor, mainly as they might refer you to another classmate that is also struggling and would like a study buddy.

Don't be afraid to ask for tips from the ones around you, especially those who have gone or are going through the thesis phase. They might know some useful tips and tricks that might help you too.

4. Listening to music

For some people I know, me included, playing music had a big part in writing the thesis. You can easily create a "study playlist" tailored to what you like or search for specific songs you prefer. It also depends on which types of music and what part of your thesis you're writing, but the biggest difference that I encountered was if the music had lyrics or not. Of course, this might be different for each person, but if I'm trying to think, I would prefer songs that do not have a lyric.

5. Creating a daily planner

Divide your big tasks into smaller doable tasks and check them off if they have been completed. It will help you have a better overview of your progress and enable you to be more aware of your achievements.

Also think about, any top priorities during the day, tasks that you will do tomorrow, and when you would take a break. And YES, breaks are essential as it helps you to reflect on the things you have written and relax before you continue doing so.

Depending on your situation, here are 3 further tips:

1. General: Switch to another task if you get stuck on the one you're working on.
2. If starting is the tricky part: do small tasks first and then the bigger tasks.
3. If energy is the difficult part: do big tasks first and then smaller tasks.

6. Writing what comes to mind at the moment

What really helped me get started and have an overview of what I would like to cover in my thesis was writing ideas in a bullet point format and then putting the ideas together in a sentence. Another way is to start writing one line or paragraph (depending on how you feel or your goals). If you keep writing one line or paragraph regularly, it will add up over time. The important thing is to start writing something. Once you do that you can always go back to edit the text further.

7. Rewarding yourself

When you have completed a task or a set goal, incentivize yourself by using rewards. You can use different rewards such as food, extra breaks, using your phone or whatever you feel worth considering.

8. Trying different techniques

If you know that your current technique is not working, try a different approach. Some that came to mind include:

1. You don't need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, use existing writing tools such as Academic Phrase bank websites or synonym websites like Thesaurus or Study & Learning Centre, RMIT.
2. Using the Pomodoro technique either alone or with someone. There are different websites and videos that guide you through this technique.

When it comes to writing a thesis, everyone has different preferences. So, there is no right or wrong way to motivate yourself in writing your thesis. Hopefully, the tips I have shared with you will help you get inspired to write your thesis. It is all about you trying things, seeing what works, and tweaking things along the way.

You can do it!