Fail Better

Teaser: The truth about motivation…

This is for the girl I saw crying class. 

This is for the guy that failed a class for the first time. 

This is for the girl who can’t say no and stretches herself too thin. 

This is for the struggling student who feels trapped. 

This is for the student who feels like a failure…

Everyone goes through seasons where they feel like they can’t do anything. This is normal, but of course, you want this feeling to pass. College is hard. Here we are, midterms. Grades are coming out, reality is sinking in, and meetings are being scheduled. Your motivation is now out the door, the perfect year you thought you would have is now down the drain.

This year has not gone the way I believed it would at all. I failed my first class, I’m losing friends as our already busy schedules get busier, I have had no motivation to get ahead in work, keeping my room clean, and things of that nature. I didn’t know how to break out of this. I was constantly tired and stressed but I didn’t have the motivation to change what was happening. 

I woke up one day and said no, I’m not going to let myself be miserable today. Someone told me, “every champion was once a contender who refused to quit.” I was not letting myself quit that day. I told myself, it’s time to get positive, get stuff done, and take care of myself. I treated myself by sleeping in and took my time getting ready. I made my coffee, washed my face, checked emails, and I made my to-do list. I ate good meals, I focused. I scheduled meetings, handled my business, and even went to dinner with an old friend. 

That’s the thing about motivation, I can’t tell you step by step what to do. I was upset and disappointed in myself for feeling like I failed. I needed to be rejuvenated, so it’s time you break this funk. Grab a piece of paper, write a to-do list, make your coffee and get sh*t done! You have goals! Small ones, large, personal, academic, and so many more and it’s okay to fail. Everyone fails at some point in their lives. You’re trying. You’re not giving up. Try again, and if you fail again, fail better. You will succeed, meet all of your goals, and yes, even graduate. 

Your perfect year is still obtainable. Think, mind over matter. You need to train yourself to think, “I can do this”, “I will ace this test”, “I will get my grades up.” It takes time. Nobody has motivation all the time, it’s the mindset that they have. Does this mean that now I am always motivated? No, of course not. I learned my limits and I am working towards meeting goals every day. I still struggle with wanting to get out of bed, choosing to do homework rather than nap, and pushing things off until the last minute. Some days I will let myself choose those things. It’s important to rest, but I am working toward a better me and that’s motivating in itself. 

So to the girl I saw crying class, rest. Everything will be okay. 

To the guy that failed a class for the first time, try again. Don’t give up on yourself. 

To the girl who can’t say no and stretches herself too thin, take time for yourself today. Give yourself the help you provide to others. 

To the struggling student who feels trapped, this is your year. You can do this. 

Finally, the student who feels like a failure, fail better. 

xoxo!

• college
• motivation
• stress