Books to Motivate Students
We need books to motivate students for a variety of reasons. Not just to help them study, but to help them choose a direction in life. To help them understand themselves and the world around them.
And ultimately to motivate them to become the best version of themselves that they can be.
Motivation
Being motivated allows us to change our behaviors, achieve goals, develop interests, and become more curious. To bring our talents to fruition, see ourselves being successful in the future.
A student will be motivated if they take ownership of what they are learning. Not just what they are told to learn, but being inspired to read around a subject, and immerse themselves in it.
The right book at the right time has the potential to be life-changing. You will come across books by accident, you will have them pushed into your hands by teachers, friends, and family - a lot of people have books that helped them along the way.
These books are just some of my suggestions and I hope you find them useful as you set off on your own journey.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
I’ve already written about this topic in another post on books on focus, and it’s an opportune moment to mention again another incredibly useful book. Lack of motivation can be a major problem for students in terms of good study habits. Procrastination is not your friend.
This book contains effective strategies for overcoming study issues. By making small incremental changes of only 1%, you can transform your study habits. In fact, these techniques can be applied to many aspects of your life where you want to bring change.
One of the techniques is habit stacking, where you attach a new habit to an already existing one ie I’ll study after I make my morning coffee. You’d be surprised by just how effective this becomes.
Designing your environment, making intentions, motivation rituals, changing your mindset, two minutes rules - there’s so much in this book to help students, it’s a goldmine. This is one of those great motivational books for students because it can help them make the most effective use of their time.
Mans search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Viktor Frankl survived four concentration camps but lost his wife, parents, and brothers. He was already practicing as a psychiatrist before he was sent there, and it was this extreme environment that influenced his own theories.
In short, his theory is that the primary purpose of life is man's search for meaning, which can be found from three sources - Purposeful work, love, and courage in the face of suffering.
I’ve included this in my list of motivational books for students because I think it deserves to be read and brings up incredibly important points. Firstly, no matter the circumstances, you can choose your own path. Everything depends on your attitude - this should be a source of motivation.
Our search for meaning is one of the most motivating factors humans can have, one that we will have for the length of our lifetimes. When you are thinking of what you want to do, is there a road that will bring purpose to your life? Remember that this is your path, your choice, no one else’s.
Maybe things aren’t easy for you right now, perhaps your life is very hard. But if you can find something that you enjoy pouring your passion into, that requires time and effort, this will help you work towards a future goal.
Art Matters: Because Your Imagination Can Change the World by Neil Gaiman
Trying to work out what we want to do involves making mistakes. If you’re a creative, it’s especially important, because that’s how we learn. We have to put our doubts to one side and keep pushing through. This charming and short book will inspire you to do just that.
“Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here.”
We all have our own unique voice, how we see the world. But we have to coax it out, and encourage it into the world by giving it space to explore. Make your own rules and break them. This book tells you that you’ll learn just as much from your failures as your successes.
I think this is one of those great books to motivate students because it helps them find a way,and see a path they can follow with enthusiasm and vigor. Get creative, and remember that you’ll never work a day in your life if you find something that you love to do.
Thich Nhat hanh - The Miracle of Mindfulness.
I found it hard to narrow it down to one book on meditation and mindfulness (A list of my favourites can be found here). But I went with this one, because of the simplicity of its approach, the clear and practical advice, and Thay’s humanity, which shines through.
Being a student, and just this business of living, is stressful and anxiety-inducing. Mindfulness allows your thoughts to settle, taking you out of your head and you can feel the fog lift from your thinking. The great things about mindfulness techniques are that they are tools you will have with you on your whole journey through life.
By giving our bodies and minds a break from endlessly ruminating, we give ourselves space and time to find clarity. It allows us to focus our energies on what’s important, and not waste our efforts on needless worries. Mindfulness will increase self-awareness and attention, allowing us to decide on our goals and see the path clearly ahead, thus increasing motivation.
Educated by Tara Westover
Educated by Tara Westover is an inspiring and motivational book for students because it shows that no matter your upbringing or personal circumstances, you can overcome insurmountable odds to be the person you want to be. Not all of us are given the easiest start in life and this book shows how determination and hard work can take you all the way to the top.
It’s about the power of learning, and how education can mean so much to an individual. Westover never set foot in a classroom till she was 17, and was brought up by parents who believed doomsday was coming and had little interaction with local authorities. She suffered trauma and physical abuse but never gave up.
This book provides inspiration as motivation and a reminder that learning is a lifelong journey of self-discovery. And emphasise the importance of never giving up.
This list of books to motivate students so far have been non-fictional, but I’m going to include a few fictional titles now, as they can be just as motivational.
Midnight Library by Matt Haig
This is the Story of Nora Seed, down on her luck and not sure if she can continue. She is introduced to the midnight library, showing her all of the other alternate lives she could have lived. It shows the importance of not living a life filled with regret, of taking opportunities, and realising that everywhere leads somewhere.
This is a book that highlights the importance of small things, and being motivated to take a chance. It’s also a book about acceptance and a reminder that there are many paths to choose, that we have to embrace them and grasp this life for it’s the only one you will have.
We all make mistakes, but we don’t have to be defined by them. We don’t have to spend all of our emotional energy focusing on regret.
The only way to learn is to live.
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
I’m including ‘Siddhartha’ because I read and enjoyed it as a student, and with its simplicity of language, brevity, and message, I think it’s worth including here. I found it motivational because it encouraged me to look at my life and think about meaning.
Siddhartha is a young man who is living in India at the same time as Guatama Buddha. We journey with him, as he meets teachers along the way and experiences life’s ups and downs. We see his suffering and struggling, which we can all relate to, and eventually, we see his path to enlightenment.
Don’t worry if you don’t understand everything in this book - it’s one to keep by your side as you make your way through life. It’s a truly transformational book, teaching us that our journey is our own, that we will face challenges but will learn from them, and that we have a gift and a purpose in life.
Our quest is to find our gifts and share them with the world. We will meet many teachers along the way, each with a different message. But it’s important to question everything and remember that the only constant in life is change - the ground under our feet is constantly shifting; embrace it.
So that’s my list of books to motivate students. If you are studying at the moment, or deciding what to do with your future, I hope you find something useful in the books included. And remember that this is your journey and that it’s ok to change course whenever you want. Nothing is forever, and we are never entirely outside life’s choices - everything leads somewhere.
Most of all, be kind to yourself.
Please let me know if there are any books that you have found useful in the comments below.