How to Maintain Motivation and Morale During UPSC Preparation
IAS aspirants in UPSC coaching institutes in Chandigarh and other parts of India often find it difficult to maintain their morale and motivation during their UPSC preparation. Agreeably it is okay to feel like this sometimes as there is lot of syllabus to be covered, newspapers to be read, and test papers to be solved. But, constant lack of motivation and absence of confidence can have a deleterious effect on you UPSC preparation. We at O2 IAS academy understand that mitigating this part and parcel of an aspirant’s life. Thus in this blog we will discuss how aspirants studying in IAS/UPSC coaching institutes in Chandigarh and other parts of India can keep up their motivation and morale during UPSC preparation.
Avoid stressful environment- While preparing for UPSC civil services examination aspirants are under a lot of stress. And due to this stress and inability to cope with it they tend to feel lack of confidence and motivation. This might not be a continuous feeling throughout the preparation, but there might be triggers from time to time which make you feel helpless and exhausted. It is important to keep track of such triggers and to avoid them. You must persevere and to overcome your fears. For example- if inability to complete mains test on time is decreasing your motivation to study then try to practice to improve your writing speed. Even small improvements will aid in boosting your confidence and build up your motivation.
Surround yourself with positive and supportive people- Sometimes even your own friends and relatives can be the cause of such unnecessary stress leading to a decrease in morale and reduced motivation to study for civil services exam. Since our self perception is not just moulded by our personal preferences but are also influenced by our family and friends perspective. This is even truer for those aspirants who are giving their second or third attempt as at this stage not having cleared the IAS exam in first attempt has its own challenges and expectations. But you should not lose hope or feel demotivated as this can happen to anyone and only 18% aspirants clear the IAS examination in their first attempt. Thus, it is better to remove yourself from any kind of stress inducing environment till the time you are preparing for UPSC exam and are selected in the final merit list.
Instead you should surround yourself with people who believe in you and your abilities to achieve your UPSC dream. So that even when you feeling low there is no added pressure and stress instead they positive words may encourage you to keep up your spirits and persevere.
Check your time management skills- In this long journey having doubts and second thoughts is quite frequent if you are a working aspirant or preparing while in graduation as it is very tough to manage time. If you are feeling demotivated and under confident due to lack of time or mismanagement of time then we suggest you to read our previous blog on time management. The ability to manage time and complete syllabus on time will vastly improve your confidence and act as a motivator as well.
Avoid dwelling on the past or obsessing over the future- After a long of studying for 7-9 hours most IAS aspirants tend to obsess on their future or take a trip back to the memory lane. Most aspirants also tend to compare their life struggles with their friends and family such as thinking about pay packages of college friends, companies they work in, their vacation or their weddings. Or obsessive negative thoughts about future such as- what if I never qualify, what if I don’t get service of my choice or what if I don’t a cadre of my choice. It is normal to have such thoughts every once in a while but having such thoughts constantly is not good. Since the road to success is long having such negative thoughts daily will cause inevitable emotional damage. Instead IAS aspirants should focus on the present and learn from what they go through. In the end, how you manage every single day, every single test, and every single question in itself is a sign of success. If you measure your journey in these small segments, seeing your name in the final merit is just a matter of time.
For more information and tips on this topic we suggest you to read our previous blog on stress management and to enjoy the process of becoming an IAS IPS IFS officer which is only possible if you enjoy the journey. It is not a easy road but one day soon all your sacrifices will be worth it.
Have faith– The most important aspect of maintain your high spirits is to have faith in your abilities even when you are feeling demotivated. Having the strength to tackle failure without getting disheartened will definitely make you a victor one day. It is crucial to acknowledge that having mixed feelings of anxiousness, nervousness and excitement is quite natural. You should not lose hope and start having depressive thoughts on small setbacks. Every once in a while we forget that in the end we are common people with our own strengths and weaknesses. It is not your failures which define you and your success instead how you deal with your failures and setback which is the determinant of you victory. If you keep up your hard work then nothing can stop you from achieving your goal of clearing UPSC civil services exam.
Enjoy the little things in life– Lastly it is important to make sure that you are not being over strict with yourself or exhausting yourself with a overly hectic time table. As this is bound to burn up your energy and motivation in a short period of time and is not a sustainable solution for long run. We advise IAS aspirants to manage their time in a healthy way and only pursue an aggressive and intensive time table 2 months before prelims. During UPSC preparation aspirants should not abstain completely from enjoying their hobbies and pursing activities which give them joy. While overindulgence should be avoided but enjoying movies and outings once in awhile is good to maintain the pace of the preparation as it will refresh and reenergise you. Thus it is okay to enjoy watching youtube, movies, cricket matches, listening songs, gathering with friends, family and talking on phone to friends in MODERATION. So, while preparing a schedule make some time for pursuing activities which you enjoy and spending time with loved ones. Caution must be taken to adhere to the allocated time and not over indulge in social obligations or hobbies. In moderation having some leisure time off from preparation would refresh, revitalise and reenergise you while incentivising you to focus on your UPSC preparation.
We hope that these tips will help you in self motivation and keeping up your morale during your UPSC preparation in IAS coaching institutes in Chandigarh or any other part of India. These were our views and opinions on this topic. What are your thoughts and inputs or queries on this topic? Comment below and share your views with us. We would be happy to assist you in your UPSC preparation battles and answer your queries.
