The Japanese term "kaizen" means continuous improvement. Developed to improve the performance of employees, kaizen can be adopted and applied to any area of your life that needs improvement. Motivating yourself to study has a lot to do with your past practices. Clean off your work surface or desk. Make it a place that's inviting. If you practiced the habit of "out of sight, out of mind," then put your textbooks or notes on your clean desk where you can see them. Taking small but consistent steps is the hallmark of continuous improvement. You'll find that your motivation increases with every positive step taken toward your goal of studying.
Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, "Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day." Motivational writer Dale Carnegie used this quote by Stevenson in his book, "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living," to illustrate the concept of living in "day-tight compartments." Studying will stop in its tracks if you trick yourself into believing that you'll do it tomorrow. Tomorrow can often become the next tomorrow and so on, until it's the night before your test and you haven't opened your books. Starting at least one week before your test, make a timetable for each day, and commit to studying at least one hour each day.
Increase your motivation to study by asking a classmate to study with you. Choose your study partner with care, however. If you pick someone who's known for goofing off in class or who regularly fails tests, then you might be motivated to forgo your studies in favor of other activities. Ask a student who is an enthusiastic learner to spend a few hours studying with you. Observe his study habits and choose a few to emulate. Spend your time sharing knowledge and making comprehensive notes that will be handy the night before your test.
Motivational coaches agree that visualizing a successful outcome to any project is instrumental in achieving it. If you approach studying with the fear that no matter how much time you invest, you're going to do poorly, then it's likely that you will do just that. Before you sit down to study, spend a few minutes visualizing the test, knowing the answers to almost every question, and receiving an excellent grade. Motivating yourself to study will become easier once you visualize a successful outcome to your efforts.