Self Motivation Techniques By Yogi Barra

Motivation. It’s probably one of the hardest things to keep and maintain when studying for a computer certification - particularly when trying to juggle the demands of everyday life. Some of these certifications can be long and arduous, and trying to find the time and the inclination to keep hitting the books can tax even the most determined person. But motivation can also be one of the most powerful tools that you have at your disposal. If you are determined to succeed, chances are you will.Here you'll find some tips and suggestions for finding, and keeping, your motivation. If you have any motivational tips of your own that you'd care to share we'd love to hear from you.

• Goal setting – set your goal and then keep your mind focused on it. Make your goals demanding enough to warrant effort on your part, but not too difficult that you’re likely to fail. Success breeds success, so start your goal setting off with easier tasks, and slowly increase the pressure as you get further along the certification track.
• Set the date of the exam before you've done any study. This means youI have a fixed time to get ready for it. Don't put too much pressure on yourself by setting an unrealistic deadline, but by having a deadline looming you'll be less likely to let things slide.
• Surround yourself with things that motivate you. Posters, plants, photo's of loved ones, pictures of things that you'd like to attain (like cars etc). If you've achieved other computer certifications hang those on the wall too.
• Don’t let setbacks get you down mentally, and don't let the thought of failing an exam get you stressed. You can always retake it. Life is full of successes and failures. Concentrate on the successes, and don’t dwell on the failures. They will happen.
• If you're stuck on a certain topic or concept and you're finding it difficult to retain the information, take a break or move on to another topic. If it's not sticking in the brain, don't try to force it.
• Let yourself get excited by success, no matter how small. Don’t let other people’s lack of enthusiasm for your successes drag you down. Get intoxicated with your own achievements, and surround yourself with people who have a positive attitude to success, particularly yours.
• Reward yourself with each success. Some certification tracks consist of a number of unit exams. After successfully passing each stage, reward yourself for your success. It doesn't have to cost money either. A simple reward is having a couple of weeks off from studying.
• Believe in yourself. Believe you can and will succeed, and don’t compare yourself to other people. Use people as yardsticks if you wish, but don’t compare your performance and ability to any other person.
• Look past obstacles. Adopt a ‘how I can’ attitude, and not a ‘why I can’t’ one. The more you adopt this philosophy the more a part of your life it will become.
• Talk to other people about your goals. Tell them about it at every opportunity. Bore them stupid. Not only will this help you to keep your goals at the forefront of your mind, it will also motivate you to actually achieve them as you’ve now told everyone about them. As an added bonus, chances are you’ll have bored them so much that they will leave you alone to study in peace.
• Focus on just one or two things at a time. Don’t spread yourself too thinly. For example, if you’re doing the CCNA certification, just concentrate on one exam at a time, and give no thought to the entire track. Take each exam one at a time and try to set them up so that the first exam compliments the next one in terms of content. Remember, if you chase two rabbits, both will escape.
• Learn from others who have been there, done that. Read discussion groups and feed off the success from others who have gone before you. Don’t dwell on those posters in the groups who have failed and just complain all the time. Focus on those who passed and succeeded.
• Visualise yourself having achieved your goal. Let yourself daydream and imagine having that job you’re working toward, and consistently remind yourself what your life could be like when you reach your goals. Just don’t do it too often - you should be studying