Regaining motivation to lucid dream?

Hi dreamers, how are we?

I initially discovered lucid dreaming from the internet perhaps a year ago and got really keen (actually lucid dreamed a few times), but kinda lost motivation over time as I was really busy with school work. Now that I'm in my final year, I realize that I can actually utilize my dreams to help my studies, but I don't know how to be as motivated as I was when I first discovered lucid dreaming! I know that lucid dreaming can really facilitate my learning, so please recommend me some effective ways to lucid dream/stay motivated, thanks ;-)

Hi there jo8p25 :) Looks like your already doing it - thinking about it and wondering about lucid dreaming a lot in our WL really helps then... maybe getting a few RC going. Steadily increase your questioning mind and inquisitiveness :alien:

'Maybe this is a dream right now! Can you levitate - check! '

Best of luck with it! :okbyenow::offtobed:

This has been a struggle for me as well.

The time will be spent dreaming regardless if you're lucid or not. The key is to find goals that pull on your emotion so that instead of feeling boredom you feel excited about it. When your lucid dreaming goals no longer excite you change them.

Lucid dreaming is a skill like any other, so finding the effective way is a process and depends on many factors, including natural ability. However, everyone who will practice it consistently enough will be able to lucid dream (but since you already had a few, you probably know that).
The most effective way for me is to:
1. get a good dream recall - for that get a stable sleeping hours and record / write your dreams in a DJ (or recorder)
2. then add the practice of increasing awareness and get into the habit of questioning reality - practice this using mantras / meditation (to increase awareness and make LDing an important thing for your brain), and choose a set of RCs and DSs, or even just think about LDing on a regular basis. About RCs, I currently have 4 reality checks that I usually do, but feel free to do some random checks... Your main reality checks should be comfortable to you (so don't choose something too complex or too many). I suggest to do RCs at each awakening, plus a few times during the day - do at least two at a time (I do 2 or 3, usually from my list of 4). About dream signs - choose something that is more common in a dream for you then in waking life. I have 6 currently, but probably better to start with less. This step will hopefully induce DILDs.
3. learn to recognize micro-awakenings, and start experimenting with WBTB - so basically if you wake up in the middle of the night don't get groggy about it. Instead tell yourself that you want more of it to happen. If you like you can sit/stand up before going back to sleep, or wait a bit longer. Just that alone will increase the probability of dream awareness and thus of DILDs.
4. then start experimenting with the various WILD methods - this will either be successful on its own (maintaining awareness while falling asleep), or will induce false awakenings that might turn into DILDs, or will fail. Between the various WILD methods only 2 main differences exist: the anchor used, and the best state of mind for it. Anchors are: focusing on previous dream (DEILD, CANWILD), on finger rhythm (FILD), on sense(s) (SSILD), on mantra (MILDxWILD aka mWILD), on visualization (VILD / vWILD - you get the idea), on incubated idea / scene (IILD), on breathing / counting / some other combination ("regular" WILD), etc. The state of mind is a balance between sleepiness and awareness - for DEILD for example you need to be very sleepy, but for "regular" WILD you'll need to be more aware.

Well, this is very general of course... The main thing to remember is to take it slow, in a pace to which your brain can adapt. Also remember that you're doing it to have some fun - getting anxiety or anger over it can only hinder progress (like in any skill that you try to learn / improve).
Btw, I think that they teach courses about lucid dreaming in this site - you might want to look that up since it might help with motivation.

Hope to see you around!

From my experience, just try to put your mind back into the beginner mindset. When you are first learning how to lucid dream you had to learn a lot about it. Watch videos about lucid dreaming, read about it, talk about it. Just make your brain excited to do it again.