How to Stay Motivated during UPSC Preparation?

Preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023 requires hard work, dedication, and passion. Setting achievable goals, taking breaks, surrounding oneself with positive energy, focusing on the bigger picture, accepting failures, and maintaining discipline are crucial tips to stay motivated throughout the preparation. Read the article below to know more.

Also read: UPSC Full Form, Strategy, Prelims & Mains Pattern

Also read: UPSC CIVIL SERVICE-IAS Exam Eligibility, Exam Pattern And Syllabus, Booklist For UPSC CSE Complete Details

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I’m Possible” – ‘Audrey Hepburn’

What demotivates in UPSC or any other thing is not the competition, or the huge syllabus or the challenges or the fear of failure. It’s simply because of the reason that we tie our ropes to a number of people.

For instance I will tell you a story; Back in last year, I was demotivated about everything in life. I was fresh out of college and I was preparing for civil services. One day, I opened WhatsApp to see a picture of a friend of mine who was sitting in the Hotel Taj. Next day, I saw travel pics of one of my old friend who was holidaying in Brazil. I saw status of my college fellow going to Bangalore for a tech show.

This was all very hard for me to take.

In the want of motivation to study, to continue the arduous journey of UPSC. Your focus must have to be on the problems that are restricting you. It’s not about the motivation, it’s more about eliminating the demotivation which meant cutting the rope and running at your own pace.

You should told yourself to slow down and be realized that-

For every thousands of rupees your peers are earning, you are gaining tons of knowledge that can’t be bought.
For every trip that your peers are making, you are travelling places, in detail without any money.
For every weekend that others lose in sleeping, you are investing in educating yourself.
For every day that others are being ignorant, you are learning about the problems of your country and our people.
For every hour others are wasting in updating themselves about people around them, you are being updated about everybody on earth.

And after all this, the day will come when you will be having enough knowledge to talk in depth and share your views discretely.

Isn’t this motivating enough?

Don’t aim for the rank, it will come at the right time.
Don’t aim for money that others are earning, knowledge is invaluable.
Don’t be considerate about the lucrative jobs others are doing, you will have it someday or the other.

Focus less on the results; focus more on your personal growth

Focus on now, Here, Yourself, The knowledge, the wisdom, the awareness, the perspective.

If you are the one preparing for the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Exam 2023, there are high chances that your UPSC exam preparation would be in full swing. The UPSC IAS exam is one of the most valued competitive examinations in India.

Every year, lakhs of candidates register for the exam, of which roughly 50% who applied do not appear for the UPSC preliminary exam and from those who attempt, only a few remain in the race till the last stage of the selection process.

Preparing for the UPSC civil services examination is a challenging and demanding process that needs years of hardwork, passion, and dedication. It is natural and okay to feel demotivated during the preparation for a competitive exam, but there are several ways to keep you motivated and keep going without losing focus.

Before embarking on the challenging journey to become a Civil Services Officer (IAS/IPS/IFS), every aspirant acknowledges and accepts that they have to devote more than one year to crack the coveted UPSC Civil Services exam.

Not only do aspirants have to study a vast and diverse syllabus with perseverance, but they also have to sustain motivation at all times, which is the most crucial driving force to crack the Civil Services exam, one of the toughest exams in the world.

If we talk about the UPSC Civil Services 2021 examination, a total of 10,93,948 candidates applied for the examination, out of whom 5,08,619 appeared. As many as 10,000 candidates qualified for appearance in the Written (Main) examination, and out of them, 2,521 qualified for the personality test (interview), from which 685 candidates were recommended for appointment.

It is not hard to conclude that the competition is immense as only 712 candidates cracked the exam.

This article will bring to you all such factors which will motivate you for the competitive exam. Check out the tips mentioned below to keep yourself motivated and focused during the UPSC preparation.

Tips to Stay Motivated for UPSC IAS Exam

Set Goals:

It is important for you to set achievable and realistic goals that can be accomplished in a given period of time. This will give you a sense of progress and motivate you to keep going with your efforts. Keep short and achievable goals.

Break Your Study Routine:

While preparing for the competitive examination, it is essential for you to divide your study routine. Studying for long hours can lead to boredom and burnout. Take breaks and engage in activities that you enjoy.

Positivity:

During the phase of UPSC preparation, you must surround yourself with positive energy and stay connected with people who motivate and inspire you, like your family and friends. You should not leave any room for negative thoughts in your mind as it may hamper your preparation and focus.

Look at the Bigger Picture:

Think about why you want to crack the UPSC exam and what it means to you. This will keep you motivated and focused on your goals. While preparing for the competitive exam, you must keep in mind that you have to crack the examination.

Accept Failures and Learn:

Failure is an essential part of the learning process. It is totally okay to make mistakes but you should always learn something from them. Don’t get demoralised by your failures.

Discipline:

At any point in life, whatever you are going to do, the first and foremost thing to keep in mind is discipline. Follow your study routine and maintain this discipline until you crack UPSC.

Coming to the conclusion I would like to mention, again perhaps, that please do not follow any other successful candidate’s success story from a personal perspective. You are one of a kind.

In a sum, understand your strength. What motivates others might very well not even make you blink. See what pains you, moves you. Get that cause as a passion. Dream it, sleep it, and chase it. Nothing else matters, everything else can wait.

All the best. Find your passion.