Enjoy what you do or do what you enjoy that will make you happy and will keep you motivated. If studying makes you happy you will enjoy it. And that will make you less stressed. Choose the subjects you are truly interested in.
Do what makes you happy
There is a famous saying “Push yourself because no one else is going to do it for you”. This saying is so true as you only have to make efforts to make your dream come true. This is your goal, so you have to make efforts to achieve it.
During the process of civil service preparation, you may doubt your strengths. You may feel you are not made for this or you are not up to it. It is natural to feel this during the long process of studying and preparing. Remind yourself about your strengths that will motivate you.
Make a chart and record your achievements no matter how small it is. If anytime you are feeling low this achievement chart will boost you and make you feel worthy of the process. Do it regularly and remind yourself that you have achieved a lot and further also you can do it.
Surround yourself with positive people and prefer making friends who motivate you no matter what. Make sure you have someone to talk to whenever you feel low or demotivated. A good conversation with positive people will always boost you and energize you for real challenges.
You may have less time to learn new things other than your syllabus while you prepare for IAS. But do learn and know about the great personalities and their struggles. That will definitely motivate you and will make you understand nothing comes easy.
Know about great personalities
Evaluate yourself regularly. Take out time to evaluate yourself on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. This will make you realize where are you in terms of preparation and learn from your mistakes. When you know your growth process you will feel motivated.
Regular evaluation
Whenever you feel demotivated count your blessings. This will instantly make you feel happy and motivated. Be thankful for what you have and promise yourself to achieve more.