When you are learning a new topic or skill, ask yourself the following questions. You might consider writing down your answers.
- What tasks do I need to complete or topics do I need to cover? (Try: Review the assignment, scan the chapter, read through the quiz before answering.)
- What do I already know about this topic? (Try: Write down familiar terms, review a previously completed assignment about the topic.)
- What is new to me or, based on past experience, what will be difficult for me to learn? (Try: Formulate questions to answer as you read, plan extra time to spend on difficult topics.)
- What approach will I use to learn this material? (Try: Choose a note-taking technique, make flash-cards, draw a mind map.)
- How will I assess if I have learned the material? (Try: Teach a friend, take a practice quiz.)
Motivational and Behavioral Strategies
Staying motivated, especially through challenging tasks, is difficult for everyone. But part of building strong self-regulation skills is practicing motivational techniques. Below are several strategies to try to keep yourself motivated and moving forward.
- Be SMART. We all know that making goals is a good thing, but we also know that reaching our goals is hard. A common reason why goals are often not achieved is because the goal itself was too vague or too big. A popular technique for making goals we can reach is called SMART, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Based.
- Be as specific as possible when making a goal.
- Have a way to measure your goal so you can track progress.
- Create a goal you can reasonably attain with the resources you have today.
- Keep the goal relevant to your overall values or aligned with the direction you wish to go.
- Set the time or date at which you hope to accomplish your goal.
- Effort not ability. We often get in the way of our own progress and success by giving up because we believe we don't have the natural talent or inherent ability to learn a new skill or concept. Stanford University physiologist Dr. Carol Dweck calls this way of thinking a fixed mindset and it is contrary to the reality for most human beings. Success, for even the best athlete, musician or scientist, requires effort and practice. Believing that we can improve through trial and error, through effort and practice is called a growth mindset. When you feel like quitting, put in a few more minutes or a bit more effort and see if you can push past the desire to give up.
- Hardest thing first. When we are rested and have an alert, fresh mind, we are more likely to push through challenging tasks than when we are tired and spent. Given this, it is better to start with a hard task than to save it for last. You have more energy to devote to the thing that needs it most. And when you complete it, you will feel accomplished, perhaps even exhilarated. This good feeling can propel you to keep going on to the next, less difficult, task.
- Little rewards. You may recall from the previous modules about self-care and time management, taking breaks is important to staying motivated and energized. Consider sweetening your breaks by treating yourself to something you really enjoy; a small reward for putting in a strong effort. For example, eat a piece of chocolate, turn up the music and sing along to your favorite song, or spend a few minutes on social media (but set a timer so you don't fall down the rabbit hole!).
Has someone ever said any of the following statements to you?
- You are what you do, not what you say
- Actions speak louder than words
- Get our act together
- Show, don't tell
As harsh as it may be to hear, there is truth in those statements about the power of behavior. We can aspire to accomplish many things, set goals and create plans, but until we start actually working on achieving our goals, putting our plans into action, we will never leave the starting line.
The final strategy for building self-regulation skills is to be aware of and, when needed, change our behavior in order to achieve our learning goals. But it can be difficult in the moment when we are focused on learning new and challenging material, to be cognizant of our actions. Below are a few techniques to bring mindfulness and intention to our learning behaviors so that we keep doing what works and change what doesn't.
Keep a study log. In addition to tracking when and for how long you study, consider tracking how you study. For example, if you plan a 30 minute study session, stop after 25 minutes and dedicate 90 seconds to taking notes in a study journal on what you did. While you were watching a recorded lecture, did your mind wander? Did you check social media? Did you rewind the video once, twice or several times because you missed or didn't understand something.
Try it a different way. If you use a highlighter while reading a textbook, try instead to focus on only reading and then write a summary of the pages you read. If you usually watch the lecture first and then try the practice problems, reverse the order. Did you concentrate more or less on the lecture when you knew what you needed to look for after reviewing the practice problems?
Never miss twice. A popular mantra for building good habits and behaviors is the "never miss twice" rule. The underlying concept here acknowledges that we are not perfect, but that doesn't mean we should give up entirely. Sometimes we are going to skip a planned study session or miss an assignment deadline. That is okay. To stay on track, don't focus on what you missed. Instead, focus on NOT missing the next study session or assignment deadline.
Practice, Application, Reflection
To ensure that your newly learned knowledge and skills endure, it is important to repeatedly practice new skills, apply knowledge in different contexts, and reflect on what you have learned. A well-designed learning experience will provide you with opportunities to practice, apply, and reflect, but you can reinforce your learning outside of a class by connecting it to your everyday life and work.
