What Motivates You by Brook Simpson
The school year is coming to an end at Saugatuck High School. As school starts to feel more and more like a chore, students are in dire need of finding ways to motivate themselves to finish off the year as strongly as they started. So, before you start daydreaming in class about the summer weather and beach days ahead, let's take a look at some of the different strategies your fellow peers are using to stay motivated!
When I asked Loch Rigozzi what motivates him, he responded by saying, “I really want to make it into college, especially for athletics. I’m just really excited about the career I’m going for.” Rigozzi even shared some of the strategies he uses to ensure he doesn’t get burned out. “Time management, lightening my class load, and making sure I take days off helps me to not get burned out.” Future goals like these can certainly help install work ethic in people if they inspire to accomplish them.
Another athlete, Ada Roth, had a very empowering response. She talked specifically about her knee injury and said, “Going through so much, you have to find ways to motivate yourself.” Her core motivation is, “thinking about the outcome and the future and looking past everything I’ve been through.” Injuries can certainly make athletes lose their ambition and motivation, but the hard work is worth it in the end.
After I asked Emma Schoonmaker what motivates her, her response was, “Probably my religion, because I’m Christian.” Religion can be a very motivational factor in peoples’ lives because they are doing good things for a higher purpose above themselves.They can feel that they are being the best version of themselves because they are honoring what they believe in.
As you can see, people have a variety of different factors that motivate them everyday, but no matter what the specifics were, all of our interviewees had one thing in common: goals. Whether it was going to college, recovering from an injury, or honoring God to reach personal or religious fulfillment. If a person wants to complete their goals they will do everything in their power to put in the work to make it happen. That is why you have to have a sense of purpose to stay motivated every step of the way. “Successful people are not gifted; they just work hard, then succeed on purpose.” - G.K. Nielson
When I asked Loch Rigozzi what motivates him, he responded by saying, “I really want to make it into college, especially for athletics. I’m just really excited about the career I’m going for.” Rigozzi even shared some of the strategies he uses to ensure he doesn’t get burned out. “Time management, lightening my class load, and making sure I take days off helps me to not get burned out.” Future goals like these can certainly help install work ethic in people if they inspire to accomplish them.
Another athlete, Ada Roth, had a very empowering response. She talked specifically about her knee injury and said, “Going through so much, you have to find ways to motivate yourself.” Her core motivation is, “thinking about the outcome and the future and looking past everything I’ve been through.” Injuries can certainly make athletes lose their ambition and motivation, but the hard work is worth it in the end.
After I asked Emma Schoonmaker what motivates her, her response was, “Probably my religion, because I’m Christian.” Religion can be a very motivational factor in peoples’ lives because they are doing good things for a higher purpose above themselves.They can feel that they are being the best version of themselves because they are honoring what they believe in.
As you can see, people have a variety of different factors that motivate them everyday, but no matter what the specifics were, all of our interviewees had one thing in common: goals. Whether it was going to college, recovering from an injury, or honoring God to reach personal or religious fulfillment. If a person wants to complete their goals they will do everything in their power to put in the work to make it happen. That is why you have to have a sense of purpose to stay motivated every step of the way. “Successful people are not gifted; they just work hard, then succeed on purpose.” - G.K. Nielson