I work most effectively when I have a clear goal in mind. But sometimes it’s hard to come up with a plausible goal that boosts my motivation to study something. Having too vague or too broad goals is bad too. What if I told myself that my next goal is to learn HTML and CSS? I’d say that’s a pretty vague goal. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that’s a bad goal—quite the contrary—but it’s too ambiguous to spark motivation. You see, motivation is an emotion that has a will of its own. We can’t just switch it on and off whenever we need to use it. It’s hard to reason with motivation. We need to create a setting for it that will rouse it from its slumber.
Motivation is like attraction. It’s not a choice. (I’m paraphrasing David DeAngelo). No matter how hard you try to get a girl to like you, you’re not going to succeed if your only goal is to get her. Why? Because she’ll only see you as a needy guy who is only communicating to her how desperate he really is. That’s beside the point though. Let me get back to our topic.
So instead of setting a broad goal like “learn HTML and CSS”—or even better—”learn web design”, why not go for a certification? “Get certified by W3Schools.” If your goal is to learn HTML and CSS because you want to work as a web developer, you can sign up to get an official certificate from a variety of authorities on the topic. Not only will it drive you to learn the skills, it will also be a handsome asset on your resumé.
Getting certified means that you have to work towards a clear goal with a deadline. You have to pass the exam. And you have to prepare for doing so before crossing the deadline. Having a clear goal and a deadline lets you know what needs to be done. Many certificates are reasonably priced, but if you slack off and blow the exam, you know that you’re only wasting your money. This situation stimulates the senses, and it can be a powerful source of motivation.
Signing up for certification provides you with motivation, a plan, a deadline, credentials (if you pass the exam), and the resulting skills. Use these qualities to your own advantage by getting, or being sponsored to get a certificate.
Self-Learner is a blog about self-education and self-improvement based lifestyle design. Goal? To become the best "version" of yourself, and feel excited to jump out of your bed every morning.
2 Responses to “Motivate Yourself to Study: Get a Certificate”
Do You know of a site like this (W3Schools) for other subjects such as something like Language?
Hi Brooke. Thank you for stopping by. If you’re referring to language certificates then there are plenty of them in the world (eg. The Japanese Language Proficiency Test). But I’m afraid I am not aware of any websites that provide the training itself—as in, free study materials, lessons, et cetera. What language(s) are you studying?