Dear Devil’s Advocate,
I couldn’t be more excited to start the new school year. After a summer of relaxing and spending time with friends and family, I am more excited than ever to get back to work. My only worry is that I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I have loads of advanced classes this year, I am the leader of a DEIB group, and a varsity athlete. At the end of last year I began to burn out as we approached finals and I am worried I might fall into the same trap this spring. How can I maintain the motivation to keep working throughout the school year?
Sincerely,
Busy Stresser
Dear Summer Stresser,
It sure does sound like you have a pretty busy year ahead of you. With that many personal commitments, you will have less free time and it will be harder to keep up with work. However, you shouldn’t let that discourage you from taking on the extra workload. You are more than capable of handling it, as long as you know how to successfully manage the stress and time constraints that come with work.
There are many ways to stay on top of your work and stay motivated throughout the school year. For example, you can learn some new study habits, like keeping a well-organized schedule where you can plan out your tasks well in advance and allocate time for studying. Something that helps me, however, is less of a “study habit” and more of a different perspective on work.
The secret to staying motivated and healthy, not just for the school year, but for your whole life, can be found on the island of Okinawa, in southern Japan. This small island is home to the highest concentration of centenarians, people who have reached the age of 100, in the world. For many of these island dwellers, their secret to longevity boils down to one word: ikigai.
This word can be roughly translated as your reason for living — or your inner motivation for a specific professional activity. It can also be described as an intersection between four different elements: what you’re passionate about, where your skills lie, how you can earn a living and what the world needs. Many Japanese people believe that everyone has an ikigai, or destiny, that they are born to fulfill.
So for you, Poly student, I recommend you search for your own personal ikigai. Set out to find something that you are passionate about, a task that doesn’t feel like work, something that brings you fulfillment. While for some it can be easy to decide what your ikigai is, it can be a difficult find for others. However, once you know what your ikigai is, you can begin to work differently. Rather than pushing through tasks that you don’t enjoy, you can look forward to work, as it will bring you joy, not stress.
For those of you who want a more in-depth and full understanding of ikigai, I suggest you read Hector Garcia’s book of the same title. If you’d rather discuss the topic in person, then I highly recommend a chat with Director of Performance Fitness, Coach James. Not only is he one of the most driven people I know, but he is also the man who introduced me to ikigai.
I hope ikigai can work for you, but it does not have to be your solution to stress and burnout. Find what is proven to help you stay motivated and driven, whether that is family, friends, home, or community, and keep yourself supported by those people and things.
Sincerely,
The Devil’s Advocate
The Devil’s Advocate is the Polygon’s advice column. Need advice? Write [email protected] a letter explaining your problem and we’ll publish it anonymously with advice from the Devil’s Advocate.
