MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Mindset

Intrinsic Motivation

Write one task today and add “because I care about learning…” to reconnect it with personal meaning.

Choose one assignment and link it to your values—why does this matter to you beyond the grade?

Block ten minutes to study something that excites you—no outcome needed, just enjoy the process.

Start your day by asking: “What would make today feel meaningful, not just productive?”

Keep a “why I study” sticky note visible—anchor your tasks to your deeper intrinsic purpose.

Say no to one task that drains energy and doesn’t align with your purpose for studying.

Extrinsic Motivation

List one scholarship, grade, or recognition that motivates you—remind yourself before hard tasks.

Share a recent academic achievement with a supervisor—notice how acknowledgment boosts drive.

Create a small reward system for finishing tasks—tie completion to something enjoyable.

Add a visible progress tracker for your thesis—watching progress builds commitment and drive.

Identify where accountability could help—share a study goal with a classmate for support.

Choose one task to finish before lunch and reward yourself with a treat or break.

No Fear

Name one small risk in your research you’ve avoided—take the first step toward testing it today.

Name one uncertain step in your thesis you’ve delayed—note what you can control and act on it now.

Email a professor or peer with a compliment or idea—expect no reply and treat the act as success.

Say out loud: “Failure is data, not identity”—repeat it whenever hesitation shows up before exams.

Say aloud: “Uncertainty means possibility”—repeat it when you feel tempted to delay research tasks.

Say aloud: “A no doesn’t define me”—repeat it before asking for feedback, help, or opportunities.

Share one academic failure and lesson learned—remind yourself how it led to later progress.

Schedule ten minutes to explore a concept you don’t understand—lean into curiosity over fear.

Share your opinion in class—even if unpopular, speak once with calmness and clarity.

Reframe an assignment as an experiment—success means learning, not achieving perfection.

Ask one curious question in your next seminar—even if unsure of the answer.

Make a simple request you’ve delayed—time, help, feedback, or access to resources.

Post a sticky note: “What if I try—and learn?” Place it where you often hesitate in work.

Pick a small, unclear decision—make it quickly and treat it as a test, not a trap.

Write down the hardest rejection you’ve received—note what happened next and how you grew.

Lower the stakes: pick one assignment you fear and do it badly—just to get it started.

Change your desktop background to a quote on exploring the unknown—keep discomfort visible.

Add a sticky note: “Rejection is redirection”—place it where hesitation often shows up.

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