by staff writer Mia Bazo

Dear M,
I used to have a lot of motivation to get good grades and do well in sports and other stuff. But now I feel burned out. My parents don’t understand why my grades are going down and I don’t feel like doing anything. How can I get them to understand?
— “Unmotivated”

Hey Unmotivated,
I think I can help with your problem. If your grades are going down, you should sit down with your parents and teacher and work on figuring out what you can do about it. Everyone’s been in your position one time or another, so hopefully they’ll be sympathetic and help you through this. There’s no shame in that and maybe it’ll help you too.

Regaining your motivation may take a little while, but you can do it by taking baby steps. Make it a goal every day to get 10/10s on every single paper that gets passed back to you. Timing is key! If your project is due in a week, try to finish it in parts. Never save it for the last minute. Also, for after-school activities, do the hardest work first. So, later on when you’re tired, you’ll do the easiest assignment and understand what you’re writing.

One last piece of advice I have for you is to do your best, even when you don’t feel like it! Fake it ’til you make it: It’s very simple but can do lots for you. You can do it 🙂 I know you can 😉
,
M

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