Monitor your motivation

Motivation means different things to different people. 

It it sometimes used to mean mood (which varies from day to day). It is sometimes used to mean will-power. It may sometimes refer to energy level, or level of frustration. People may use it to refer to their underlying reason for learning a language.  People also use the word to refer to any tricks that they employ to overcome inner resistance (as in: “I must motivate myself!”).

So what do I mean by 'motivation'? 

All of the above? Some of them? None of them?

When I use the word motivation, I guess that I’m talking about that certain something that you always need to keep an eye on. 

Motivation for me is a longterm indicator. It may change over time, but fairly gradually. You have a sense of your own level of motivation, and you know that if it gets too low, you’re in danger of quitting.

Therefore, motivation needs to be monitored. Actually, it is itself a monitor. It’s like one those life-or-death instruments on the panel of an aircraft. 

So keep tabs on your motivation level. Plot it daily on a graph if you like—out of 10. If that line on the graph dips below five or six, then you have a problem. You're in danger of stalling.

If that happens, then you ought to lean back, catch your breath, and figure out what’s wrong. Ask yourself what you need to do.

Don’t PRESS ahead. Cut yourself some slack instead. Don’t risk getting into a spin. You're in this for the long haul.