Motivation, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, is the process of giving someone a reason to do something. In other words, it is the desire to do things. Motivation can be both difficult and easy for individuals. It is easy to stay motivated if one is interested in the task. However, if the task does not seem interesting to another, being motivated may become a struggle. Remaining interested is an important characteristic to have in order to set and conquer goals. Without being motivated in the work at hand there is no way it will get done efficiently. If you are ever feeling unmotivated just think about the process of getting there, the positive outcomes, and the benefits of the end goal. Within the Tabor School of Business, it is important for students to stay motivated not only in their class work, but also in the performance learning projects they are involved with.
On April 3rd of 2017, four Millikin students created a week long pop-up shop in downtown Decatur called Blue Brew Coffee. The goal of the pop-up shop was to see if the downtown Decatur market would support a coffee shop. Throughout the week the students saw ample support from Decatur residents as well as folks from the Millikin community. After the week was finished the students along with Julie Shields, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, focused on making the shop permanent. 
Their intent is to turn the shop into a performance learning class and student run venture. Hopefully, Blue Brew Coffee shop will be up and running by Fall of 2017. Morrison, Lisa. “Meet Julie Shields, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at Millikin University.” Herald-Review.com. Herald & Review, 08 Feb. 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.
Millikin has been an avid believer and promoter of performance learning. They do so by getting students involved in businesses and student run ventures. Blue Brew Coffee would become a perfect outlet to allow students to use what they have learned in the classroom and apply it to real world situations. By giving students the ability to run a business venture, it motivates the students to become more involved and apply what they learn outside of the classroom. Millikin hopes that these student run ventures also motivate students to be entrepreneurs and create their own businesses.
Sustaining motivation can be tough even under the most ideal circumstances. So how can you stay motivated when your to-do list reaches four pages and it seems like the world is pressed against you? In order for you to stay motivated you must set goals for yourself. Having active visualizations of your schedule down to the minute details can be greatly beneficial when trying to find motivation. You must see it to feel it.
Now that you have goals, create a list of the reasons you want to accomplish this goal. In the world today, it is easy to get off course in a hurry. Writing down your motives towards doing something can keep you grounded. Not being motivated is going to happen, but you can limit that by having a plan for when your motivation is lacking. Some people might think that this is a defeatist mentality, but it is contrary to that. It is inevitable a lack of motivation is going to set in, whether that is from sheer exhaustion or temporary set backs. When it does set in you are going to want to have a plan to boost your motivation. Maintaining yourself motivation is a universal struggle. When this happens it is okay to reward yourself occasionally to keep your motivation reserves topped off.
Avenue, N. (2013, July 19). How To Stay Motivated And Accomplish Anything. Retrieved April 11, 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2013/07/19/how-to-stay-motivated-and-accomplish-anything/2/: