为什么我失去了求知的动力？

本文转自Quora，版权归答主所有。

原文链接：http://www./Why-did-I-lose-my-drive-to-learn-more

译者：La Morte

【Sfreyas Saxena 的回答】

我想其他人都说的很不错,，但是我还是要告诉你一个我自己发现的一个非常简单却很有深意的秘密。我先讲个故事：

认识 John

John 以前绝不止于平庸，他是个很聪明的人；他学习东西非常快而且解决问题的时候，都能由深入浅地把大问题分成小问题，一步一步的解决。 人们就会经常向他请教一些作业的或者所做的项目中遇到的问题，而且 John 也会花时间为他们解答。后来 John 理所当然的以优异的成绩拿到他的学士学位。

John 怀着用他那曾被人人称赞的聪明才智为这个世界做贡献的想法，加入 了一家公司，开始了他的职业生活。他把自己的分内事很好的完成了，而且开始做 其他的项目。他很想学多一些知识和技能，可是公司并不像研究生学院那样，会有特定的专业可以供他选择和学习。所以他很纠结他该学什么，该把精力放在什么上面。

在一开始的时候，John 选了非常有挑战性的项目来做。因为这不是他常做的事，所以他觉得做这个项目能让他获益匪浅。在第一周，这个项目的难度开始让 John 失去了继续做下去的动力。由于他以前在大学的时候总是学得又快又好，这个项目让他感到精疲力尽。归咎于这个项目“太难以完成”，他半途而废了这个 项目。

又有两个星期过去了，John 由于周末的无所事事开始坐不住了。在这个时候，John 选了一个简单的项目而且下定决心要在下周前完成。还没到一个小时， John 就看完了整个项目，同时他感到了停滞感——这个项目根本不能给予他想要的智力或者技能上的进步，因为他已经基本拥有了这个项目所需的能力。当天，John 就以“这个太简单无聊”为理由放弃了做这个项目。

说实在的，他真的想要做点什么但是他害怕选了太难的项目又或者是太简单的。他把“寻找新项目”这件事无限期地拖延了。当日子从论周数变成论月数的时候，John 一次又一次地重蹈覆辙——总是选错项目。最后，在他经历了这么多次失望后，他发觉自己一无所获。

一年前的我就是这个 John。我曾经会因为同时处理多个项目而兴奋得开始着手，结果不言而喻。。。 我有很长的一段停滞期，时间能改变很多事，事情真的开始有转机；我获悉了一个进展图：

这个图一目了然,但是我还是补充一些。我发现即使你选了一个很不错的项目，一夜要确定它有实际意义,而且要确定它能激励你。

举栗子:

• 如果你想学习Python这门计算机语言，相比于从书上学(这个相对而言难度要低点)，想一个项目而且用 Python 来编程，例如一个扑克游戏。(P.Norvig, Udacity 远程教育课程)

• 如果你打算读某个课题的学术文章，给自己设置一个能持之以恒的阅读计划。事实上当你开始按部就班地照计划进行时，阅读本身就能吸引你的注意力而且能让你发现你对此越来越感兴趣。

• 高级提示：有时候为了回到学习曲线，尝试在周末选一天做项目。在那一天尽可能的从项目中学习，这可以帮助你尽快地踏上学习的正轨，开始继续你的学习曲线。

我可以继续说下去，但是我觉得这个故事到这里已经非常明了了。 祝你重新燃起学习的热情！

编辑:

一些从评论中给出的额外建议：

• 另一个经典的高级提示是告诉那些关心你（还有你的成功）的人你开展了一 个新的项目。他们会问你进展如何，当你答不上来的时候你会有愧疚感

• 另一个高级提示就是找一个“股东”—这个人期待你的努力能出成果或者对 这个成果有需求。这个人应该是对这个项目有很多投入：这个成果是他的目标，或者是与你的共同目标，又或者是他甚至为此投资。

【Emanuel Petre 的回答】

当我失去动力的时候一般都是因为我的生活失衡。我失衡的时候一定是忽略了以下中的一条或者几点。所以这有一个当我失衡

时会查“必做清单”，让我能重新回到平衡点：

1. 按时睡眠

2. 为每件事都设一个时间段,在此期间要专注而且要有效率

3. 设一些进阶式的小目标。完成目标的成就感能让自己保持动力 4. 吃得健康

4. 每周三次锻炼,只要是能让自己动起来的运动

5. 出门散心

原文如下：

【Sfreyas Saxena】

I think other people have made some great points, but I'm going to let you in on a simple and yet profound secret I discovered, and I'm going to do it with a story:

Meet John.

John was more than just the average, smart guy; he was very quick at learning skills and could solve a problem by breaking it down. People would come up to him with their problems in projects or assignments and he would take some time, and come up with a solution. No wonder, John graduated with distinction in his bachelors.

John joined a company in order to contribute to the world through his awesome knowledge and grasp which everyone used to praise him of. He did well with his work assignments, and started working on side projects. He wanted to learn more skills, but since there was no fixed curriculum like in graduate program, it was hard for him to pick up a topic and fixate upon it.

In the start, John picked an ambitious side project to work on. It was something he was not used to, and he thought, it would be a great learning experience. Within first week, the steep learning curve of the project started cutting into the ropes of John's motivation. Being used to quick success, like in college, John was exhausted and dumped the project speculating that it was just 'too hard'.

Another two weeks went by, and John becomes restless being bored over weekends. So this time, John picks up a simple project, and aims to finish it by next week. It was not even an hour, John is cruising through the project, but at the same time he starts feeling stagnated. Their is no intellectual growth what John was looking for, since he already possessed most of the skills needed for the task. At the end of the day, John calls it a quit, citing 'too simple/boring' as the reason.

Heart in heart, he wants to do something but now he is afraid that either he will pick up a project which is too hard, or something which is too simple. He keeps procrastinating about finding a new project. Weeks, turn into months and john has mistakenly repeated his mistake of picking the wrong projects. At the end, he does not feel like learning anything, as he has witnessed disappointment in his past.

I was John, a year back. I used to get excited quickly about multiple projects, would start them, and then well you know... . I'd been stuck for so long, it was time for things to change, and they did; I was introduced to the concept of Flow:

I think the picture is self explanatory, but still I'll say a little about it. I've found that even if you pick a good project, you should make sure it it has a practical use, and also make sure it's something that engages you.
Eg:

• If you are planning to learn Python, instead of going through a book ( which is slightly less challenging), take up some project and code it in python, like program a Poker game. ( P. Norvig, Udacity course ).

• If you are planning to read a research topic, make a goal that you would implement it in the end. The fact that you have to implement the stuff you are reading, will keep you attentive and interested while reading.

• Pro tip: Sometimes to get back into learning curve, pick up a one day project for weekend. Try to learn about a given problem/task on that day as much as you can. This might help you to get back on the learning track :)

I could go on but I think story should be clear by now. Good luck re-igniting your spirit!
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EDIT:

Some additional tips from the comments:

• Another classic pro tip is to tell people who care about you (and your success) that you've taken up a new project. They will ask you how it's going and you will feel bad if you won't be able to report any progress when they ask.

• Another pro tip, is to introduce another 'stakeholder'. Someone who expects/demands results from your work. It should be someone who is deeply invested in the project, either through their own goals, your shared goals or even by money.

【Emanuel Petre】

When I lose my drive/motivation to learn more it's often a result of being off-balance.

I tend to get off-balance when I neglect some of the things below. So here the todo list I go through when I need to reset:

1. Fix your sleep schedule
2. Time-box everything to stay focused and productive
3. Set small goals and build on them, achievements are good for motivation
4. Eat well
5. 3 trainings a week of anything that makes you move
6. Have some fun, go out