Last Updated on February 2, 2024
Learning to drive can be a lengthy process and it may be easy to become unmotivated while you are learning! With so much to learn and keep up with along the way you may find yourself losing interest or feeling overwhelmed by the process. We wanted to give you some ideas to help you to stay motivated during your driving lessons. From breaking down the process, to having support, finding some ideas to keep you motivated and on your way to a full licence!
1- Break down the process
When you are going through the process of learning to drive there are several steps to reach the overall goal of passing your driving test. Looking at the bigger picture may make the process feel more overwhelming as it can seem unachievable.
By breaking down the process it can make it feel more manageable and less overwhelming to deal with. This can help you to stay motivated during driving lessons by having smaller goals in mind. Rather than thinking “I want to learn to drive” think about how that can be broken down into sections. This can be done for each stage and if it still feels overwhelming, break it down again!
For example, “I want to learn to drive” can be broken into stages of:
-Get a provisional licence
-Book driving lessons
-Pass theory test
-Pass practical test
From there you could break it down even further, for example “Pass theory test” can be broken down into.
-Download theory test apps
-Practice road signs
-Practice hazard perceptions
-Take 5-10 mock tests
-Book theory test
-Pass theory test
From there you could even break it down even further and “Practice road signs” becomes learning:
-Traffic signs
-Warning signs
-Direction Signs
-Information Signs
-Road work Signs
-Go on 3 drives and only follow directional road signs
By breaking down each section into smaller goals this can allow you to feel more accomplished during your learning to drive journey, as you have a more achievable goal in mind. Rather than always thinking “I want to learn to drive” instead you can think “I want to learn traffic signs.” This is something that can be achieved more easily and will help you towards the bigger goal.
2- Know your why
It can be easy to get lost in the stress of learning to drive which can make you forget why you started in the first place! This can make you lose motivation during your driving lessons.
Think about your reason for learning to drive and keep this in mind during your lessons. This could be a statement such as “I don’t want to use public transport to get to work” or it could be a few keywords “I want freedom, accessibility and self-confidence.”
This can help you to keep in mind exactly why learning to drive is important to you and what you will gain once you have passed your driving test. This can help you to stay motivated during driving lessons as you have a reason to achieve your goal.
Take a few minutes to think about what you are looking forward to the most when you pass your test and keep this in mind when you start feeling stressed and unmotivated!
3- Find a great instructor
In order to be motivated for your lessons you need to make sure the environment is positive. If you have a driving instructor that you do not get on with, or do not feel is teaching you in a way that works for you, find a new one!
You need to have an instructor that works for you and your needs and that you have a positive relationship with. Do not feel too bad if you need to switch instructors during your time learning to drive. What is most important is that you are comfortable and get what you need from your driving lessons.
If you dread every lesson, this can make it hard for you to stay motivated during your driving lessons. If you are struggling to find an instructor, you can read our article about finding an instructor here.
4- Set goals to stay motivated
Setting goals can be a great way to stay motivated as you have an end goal in mind. Once you have broken down the process into sections you can then use them as a goal with a specific end point. For example, “I want to learn all of the road signs by the end of the month” this gives you something to work towards. You could even set rewards for yourself when you meet the goals to help with motivation.
We have a blog post all about setting goals which you can read here.
5- Have a support system
Having a support system can help to keep you motivated. This could be a friend who is also learning, family members or even online support from others. This can give you accountability and have someone who can check in with you along the way to keep you on track.
You could even seek out social media groups on Facebook or Discord or online forums. Here you can find others going through the same process as you.
If you have a friend or family member who knows how to drive, they could even support you through private practice. By having extra practice this may help with motivation as you can practice more often and gain more experience driving.
Conclusion
As a learner driver there is a lot to learn and think about, which can make it easy to feel unmotivated as you are going through your learning to drive journey. To stay motivated keep in mind why you want to drive, break the process down, have clear goals and support! This can help you to continue your learning to drive journey and keep you on track to pass your driving test.
