Turning Yawns into Wins: Stay Motivated in Any Online Course

Let’s be honest: online courses start with excitement and quickly become background noise. Statistically speaking, over 70% of online learners struggle with motivation by Week 3. In this guide, you’ll discover science-backed strategies, real stories, and creative hacks to turn yawns into wins.

P.S.: We guarantee that these strategies will help you stay motivated in any online course!

So, let's get started!

The Psychology Behind Losing Motivation in Online Learning

Did you know our attention span has shrunk to 47 seconds today from 2.5 minutes in 2004? Researchers claim that constant distractions and our fast-paced lives are the primary causes of this decline.

The Science of Slumps!

Furthermore, we are always in a digital environment. Our virtual and digital surroundings lead to dopamine depletion. When our brain releases less dopamine, staying focused in virtual learning environments or staying motivated to complete assignments and tasks is hard.

Dopamine depletion affects education, day-to-day activity, and work-life balance. Moreover, the lack of social cues often makes us underconfident, channeling self-doubt into our subconscious. On top of that, we have Zoom fatigue. This is basically a type of cognitive fatigue that happens when we use virtual communication platforms for prolonged periods.

The Ever-Growing Effect!

In this globalized digital world, which is supposed to help us be the better versions of ourselves, we become the worse versions of ourselves. When I started my career in digital marketing at the age of 19, I was confident, but soon, I realized I needed to upskill myself. To make the most of my time, I enrolled in an online course while working full-time in a digital marketing firm.

Though I was all set to conquer the world, time constraints made it extremely difficult for me to balance work, study, and life. Unable to deal with so many things happening simultaneously, I thought of quitting my online course. My manager told me to step back and analyze the root cause.

After analyzing I came up with strategies that helped me tackle everything and ace my course. Therefore, let's talk about the motivation killers first!   

Common Motivation Killers No One Talks About

🎯 Choice Overload 

Have you ever heard of decision fatigue? Is it not a real thing? Well, it is real. In today's world, we have too many resources and choices to make. However, too many decisions drain our mental energy, which makes us indecisive. This indecisiveness leads to procrastination, and we tend to get demotivated because we feel we are not competent enough to make informed decisions.

📱 Digital Comparison Trap

Moving on to the next motivation killer: LinkedIn envy. The world is now connected; whenever we see someone growing up, we tend to feel envious of them. We hit the point where we think that we are not good enough and are not doing enough to live a life full of achievements. This mainly happens because people post their achievements but seldom talk about their failures.

🚫 Unrealistic Expectations

Realistically, no one can complete a course in a week. But we set unrealistic targets and then cry about failing to achieve them. Many students whimsically enroll in a course and then feel overwhelmed. Whether you are taking classes in traditional settings or learning remotely, courses are designed to teach you, not mug you up on things. So, practically, it is not possible to complete them in a week!

⚙️ Passive Learning

Online education largely depends on online resources like PDF study materials, e-textbooks, video tutorials, and interactive gamified modules. However, these can never match the level of hands-on experience and group projects with friends. This passive learning often makes the entire course boring and demotivating.

Now that you realized the root cause of the demotivation, let's discuss some tips on how to stay motivated when taking an online course.

Tip for Online Learning Motivation: Avoid Burnout in Online Learning

If you are feeling unmotivated in an online course, you can try these strategies to stay motivated.

Tactic 1: Set Goals: Online Training & Dopamine Hits

First things first, set realistic goals. By realistic goals, I am not telling you to underestimate yourself. You need to set goals that you can achieve without stress and without hitting a burnout. Setting a goal is essential to beat procrastination in online classes.

When I was taking online classes, I made it a point to complete one weekly module. Also, I planned my breaks. You can always take a break when you are feeling overwhelmed, but to ensure that it does not hamper your studies, plan breaks.

One tip: Divide your larger tasks into smaller chunks to make them achievable. This will help you manage your time easily.

You must also plan a reward and punishment board. I will tell you about it in detail later, but for now, just remember this.

Tactic 2: Stay Organized: Environmental Design

This plan brings me to my next tactic: a study schedule. Create a study schedule that works for you, not others. This study schedule must include your schoolwork and office work if you are employed, like me. Do not ask ChatGPT to make one for you; it might not suit you properly.

To earn your degree online, you must plan your month. You must also have a study table, preferably beside a window, for fresh air. Keep all your study materials handy, including your reward board.

My ideal study space or virtual classroom includes my laptop, mobile, iPad, textbooks to take notes, a water bottle, a beautiful indoor plant, and lots of snacks (including a midnight snack is essential!).

Tactic 3: Find a Study Buddy: Social Accountability

Now comes the time when you take advantage of your best friend. Studying with friends is fun. Whenever you find yourself struggling, reach out and ask for their help. Also, when self-talk fails, you can count on your friends. No one can motivate you better.

But wait, that's not all. Involve your family members and classmates here. Just as studying with a friend can help you achieve goals first, letting your classmates and cousins know your goals is a miracle because they will not leave a chance to roast and remind you about it.

To stay on track, I told my brother that I would skip the movie with friends to write my assignment. Unfortunately, I could not write because I went to the cinema, and boy! My brother left no stone unturned to rub that on my face! I haven't missed my deadlines since!

Tactic 4: Self-Care & Reward System

Remember, when I told you you must make a reward and punishment board? This is how it works. One of my friends said, "...to keep your motivation, reward yourself for each small win."

So, my next tip to help you stay motivated throughout the course is to celebrate each small win and punish yourself every time you miss a deadline or fail a course. Motivation is important, and if you do not find the motivation in the course, then find it in the rewards.

Make a board and place rewards like movie night, a two-day break from the gym, binge-watching a series, eating your favorite takeout, etc. But make sure someone else places the rewards in each box. It will be a surprise for you!

Tactic 5: Avoid Distractions: Visual Progress Tracker

Last but not least, to learn how to stay motivated in online courses, you must block all sources of distraction! Time management is essential, and you cannot afford to get distracted while scrolling through social media.

You can use apps like Freedom, SelfControl, or PawBlock to keep yourself motivated while taking online classes. Dedication and persistence are essential for success. Also, track your progress by checking your grades.

Now that I have shared my tactics, let's move to my 7-day motivation challenge!

7-Day Motivation Challenge: How to Finish an Online Course

Day 1: Set Your Learning Environment

• ✅ Declutter your study space.

• ✅ Block distracting apps.

• ✅ Create a "study ritual" (coffee, candle, background music).

Day 2: Define Micro-Goals

• ✅ Break your course into daily mini-goals.

• ✅ Write them down visibly.

• ✅ Celebrate each completion (small reward!).

Day 3: Find an Accountability Buddy

• ✅ Message a friend or join an online study forum.

• ✅ Set up daily 2-minute check-ins for progress updates.

Day 4: Apply the "Two-Minute Rule"

• ✅ Start with just 2 minutes of study — momentum matters.

• ✅ Usually, you’ll go longer naturally!

Day 5: Gamify Your Learning

• ✅ Create a points system (e.g., +5 points for finishing a module).

• ✅ Reward yourself after reaching milestones.

Day 6: Do a Mid-Challenge Reflection

• ✅ Ask: What’s working? What’s not?

• ✅ Adjust your environment, goals, or rewards.

Day 7: Visualise Your Finish Line

• ✅ Close your eyes and picture completing your course.

• ✅ Imagine the benefits: career boost, personal pride, new opportunities.

• ✅ End with: What’s my next step tomorrow?

Stay Motivated as an Online Student with the Online Class Helpers

While I have shared many tips to stay motivated, here's what you can do if everything fails. Even after planning, using resources available online, and marking your checklist done, if you are unable to get top grades and feel like quitting, you must stop!

At times, we all need additional help. Hiring a tutor can help you understand concepts and get back on track. Many online class help services are available, and you can hire class takers who help keep up with the speed.

Realistically speaking, there are ways to stay motivated, but a hard reset is essential when the going gets tough. You can find someone and request them to do my online class for me. However, you must be ethical. Do not copy and paste their answers or solutions. You can use their solutions as a reference.