The word “motivation” comes from the Latin term motivus, “a moving cause”. It is described as the force that drives us to pursue a goal, including the desire to continue pursuing meaning, purpose, and a life worth living. It fuels competition and boosts social connection. Its absence can lead to mental illnesses such as depression.

People often have multiple motives for engaging in any one behaviour. Motivation might be extrinsic. That means a person is inspired by outside forces—other people or rewards. Anything promised for completing the task or received as a result of completing the task are extrinsic motivators. Extrinsic motivation can increase motivation in the short term, but over time it may gradually decrease.

Motivation can also be intrinsic. Intrinsic motivation comes purely from within, with no expected reward, deadline, or outside pressure. For example, people who are intrinsically motivated to run do so because they love the feeling of running itself. Compared to extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation tends to push people more forcefully, and the achievements are more satisfying, since it is integrated into identity and serves as a continuous source of motivation.

To understand motivation, Abraham Maslow introduced the concept of hierarchy of needs (需求层次) in 1943. According to Maslow,   humans are intrinsically motivated to meet physical needs, the most fundamental ones such as needs for food. Then they gradually satisfy several levels of needs from safety, to higher-order needs for love, belonging, and self-respect, and finally move to ward expressing their full potential—self-actualization, the desire to become the most that one can be.

Although the generality of Maslow’s theory has been challenged, many believe it reveals fundamental truths about human motivation. No matter where motivation begins, there are always ways to increase it — whether that be your own motivation or someone else’s. Sometimes you might feel completely unmotivated — and that’s OK. In that situation, allow yourself to feel the discomfort, hear the negative self-talk, and then take action anyway.

【推荐2】It has always been horrible for me to picture my life in old age. My recent visits to the senior care center, however, eased some of my fears and provided valuable food for thought.

Looking for meaningful ways to spend my weekends after my exams, I signed up to a program of arts and crafts for the elderly run by my schoolmates. I was informed that the Renci Nursing Home, where the program would be held, housed some of the less fortunate elderly in Singapore. Some background research gave me the impression that many of them suffered from physical issues and had little family support. As a result, I expected the atmosphere there to be discouraging. And, judging by the lack of interest in the painting activities, I truly sensed a feeling of purposelessness there. Given that we live in a society in which the bonds between the generations are weakening, perhaps the disappointing atmosphere in the home wasn’t surprising. The people were cut off from the ties that make life meaningful.

Is it safe to say then that our lives after retirement will likely feel aimless? But after I spoke to a Portuguese-Chinese man, I thought that this wasn’t necessarily so. At the age of 90, he displayed a surprisingly strong sense of control over his life. His liveliness was exceptional among the elderly population in the home. He had spent his life either traveling around the world as a backpacker, or working hard in Singapore to save up for his trips. He had made it a rule to learn foreign languages, exercise and eat healthily — something he continued to do during his stay in the nursing home.

While he spoke to me about how his time in London had shaped his view of cultural difference. I looked into his eyes. I knew that this was the kind of control over life that I wanted for myself. I don't want to spend half of my time wandering about in foreign countries like he did, but I do want to appreciate the richness that life has to offer.

【推荐2】•While people don’t always like the old saying “the early bird gets the worm”, getting up early is actually the secret to the success of many people.     1     There are also other benefits of waking up early in the morning.

•Improve your cognitive (认知的) function. People who get up early in the morning can concentrate better, are more attentive, and stay energetic throughout the day. Since people’s brains are more active in the morning, focusing on important tasks earlier will allow you to make better decisions than people who work later. Morning people have better problem- solving skills.     2    

•Help you sleep better. Waking up early makes going to bed early easier and helps you get consistent sleep and wake times.     3     Getting enough sleep may lower your blood pressure and improve brain function. However, people who tend to be night owls are more likely to feel tired and develop sleep disorders.

•Give you more time to eat breakfast.     4     After all, food is the fuel people need to feel energetic and ready to face the world. Just grabbing a coffee and a piece of bread at the drive- through will not give you what you need. Enjoy a nutritious breakfast of Greek yogurt and fruit to start your day off right.

•    5     Are you too tired or too busy to work out at the end of the day? Try going to the gym or for a run first thing in the morning. A morning workout can change your mood, lower stress, reduce anxiety, and increase your energy levels.

【推荐2】There is a well-known saying that was originally popularized by a 1980s cartoon series called G. I. Joe: A Real American Hero. That saying is “Knowing is half the battle.” At the end of every G. I. Joe episode, there would be a public service announcement, which gave safety tips and other important life lessons to kids. After that, a child would say “Now I know! ” And an adult would end with, “And knowing is half the battle.”

If knowing is half the battle, then the other half must be doing. “Recent work in cognitive (认知的) science has demonstrated that knowing is a shockingly tiny part of the battle for most real-world decisions,” cognitive psychologists Laurie Santos and Tamar Gendler wrote to Edge. org. In other words, knowing something is likely not enough to overcome our brain’s “built-in” reactions. It just simply isn’t enough to result in behavioral change. Even if knowing isn’t exactly half the battle, it is still important to “know”. If you know about something, then it makes you more aware of it. This, in turn, is the first step to making a change.

If you find yourself struggling to make some sort of change in your life, there are some steps you can take to help you turn your “knowing” into “doing”. First, whether you want to improve your study habits, eat more healthily, or get more sleep, you should write your goals down. When you write down your goals, you document them on paper, which makes them clearer and easier to follow. Next, break down your goals so that they are easier to manage. Making bite-sized steps to achieve your goals will help motivate you to keep moving forward and complete more of these mini goals. Finally, find someone you can share your progress with. Having a friend, family member, or even an online app can help to keep you in check to make sure you get all of the support you need.

It seems that “knowing is half the battle” is no more. So, put your energy into doing. There is no better time than the present, of course!

【推荐3】Huddled in small groups around laptops, 20 Brazilian teenagers are using an app to build a skill that’s vital to the future of their entire community. The teenagers belong to the Guarani indigenous (本地的) people and they are fluent in speaking both Portuguese and their mother tongue, Guarani Mbya. But when it comes to writing, they often use Portuguese as that’s what they were first taught to write in, putting the Guarani Mbya language in its written form at risk of disappearing. But since March of this year, they’ve been using an app to improve their ability to write in Guarani Mbya. The app is part of a project funded by IBM to create AI tools to help preserve and expand the use of indigenous languages in Brazil.

Of the 7,000 or so languages that exist in the world, about a fifth are thought to be endangered, with the United Nations estimating that half of these will be extinct by 2100 — the majority being indigenous languages. The movement to prevent indigenous languages from disappearing has prompted a number of tech-centric language preservation and expansion projects. For example, in New Zealand, an app has been developed to collect oral recordings of indigenous languages across the region to help speakers boost their everyday use of their native language.

But embracing technology and the desire to protect culture and language are often at odds in indigenous communities, as Dr. Burbank has observed. “A minority group that’s fighting to preserve a counterculture (反主流文化) will create walls around the culture to try not to dilute (削弱) it, because the majority culture is automatically going to wipe that culture out,” says Dr. Burbank. While many of the indigenous communities Dr. Burbank works with feel technology could contribute to that dilution, she believes it can benefit indigenous communities.

【推荐3】Future City Competition

Future City starts with a question—how can we make the world a better place? To answer it, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future that showcase their solution to a citywide sustainability issue. Past topics include Urban Agriculture, Public spaces, and Green energy while the topic of this year is Living on the Moon. Teams will design a futuristic lunar city and provide examples of how the city uses Moon resources to keep its residents safe and healthy.

Participants complete five deliverables: a 1,500-word city essay: a scale model; a project plan; a presentation video; and a virtual/online Q&A session with /judges. Regional winners represent their region at the international Finals. After completing Future City, student participants are not only prepared to be citizens of today’s complex and technical world, but also ready to become the drivers of tomorrow.

This flexible, cross-curricular(跨课程的) educational program gives students an opportunity to do the things that engineers do-identify problems: brainstorm ideas; design solutions; test, retest and build; and share their results. With this at its center, Future City is an engaging way to build students’ 21st century skills. Students participating in Future City also learn how their communities work and become better citizens and develop strong time management and project management skills.

Future City costs just $25 per organization—and you can register I team or 100. The price always stays the same.

We keep the price affordable so everyone can participate. Not only that, we limit the budget for materials for the City Model and City Presentation to $100 and encourage teams to use recycled materials. You don’t need expensive equipment to excel. Creativity, hard work, and commitment are all you need to get ahead.

Please note: Some regions limit the number of teams an organization can bring to the Regional Competition. Please check with your Regional Coordinator to find out the guidelines in your region.