The Share Price: A Unique Way to Stay Motivated

In the predecessor to Athenify—the Study Journal—I created a unique tool that provides motivation throughout the entire semester: the share price.

Naturally, Athenify also features the share price. In this article, learn how you can use this innovative feature to stay consistently motivated.

The Concept: Going Public

When a company goes public (IPO, initial public offering), banks help set an initial price for a portion of the company. Over time, the price of the company rises or falls depending on how market participants assess the company's future success.

In Athenify, your share price starts at 0. Your goal during the semester is to keep raising the share price through consistent studying.

Think of yourself as a publicly traded company—and your study time as the earnings that drive your stock value.

How Does the Share Price Work?

Your personal share price starts at 0 at the beginning of your semester. In Athenify, you define a daily study goal for each day of the semester (e.g., 180 minutes or 3 hours).

Each day, one of three scenarios will occur:

Scenario 1: You Hit Your Goal Exactly

Then your share price remains the same as the previous day. The price only reacts to deviations from your study goal.

Scenario 2: You Study More Than Planned

Then your share price rises by the delta from actual to target.

Example: If your target is 180 minutes and you study 200 minutes, your share price rises by 20 minutes.

Scenario 3: You Study Less Than Planned

Then your share price falls by the delta from actual to target.

Example: If your target is 180 minutes and you study only 100 minutes, your share price falls by 80 minutes.

What Your Share Price Tells You

Overall, your share price shows how much more (positive price) or how much less (negative price) you have studied compared to your goals over the entire semester.

• Positive share price: You're ahead of your targets overall
• Negative share price: You've fallen behind on your cumulative goals
• Zero: You're exactly on track with your planned study time

The Reality: Ups and Downs

Throughout the semester, the share price will rise and fall on different days. This is completely normal. It's rarely possible to exceed your study goal every single day.

But that's not a problem. When you exceed your goal on good days, it positively affects your share price. The share price thus always shows whether you are overall above or below your target study time.

Think of it like a real stock: daily fluctuations are normal, but the long-term trend is what matters.

Why the Share Price Keeps You Motivated

The share price keeps your motivation high throughout the entire semester. Here's why it works:

Make Up for Bad Days

A bad day (when your share price falls) motivates you to make up for it with extra effort on the following days.

Build a Buffer

If you consistently exceed your goals, the share price will soar. This gives you the confidence to take your foot off the gas and relax a bit when needed—your "buffer" can absorb a few lighter days.

Long-Term Perspective

Unlike daily metrics, the share price encourages you to think about your semester as a whole. One bad day doesn't ruin everything; consistent effort over time is what counts.

Setting the Right Daily Goals

Beware: The share price as a motivational tool only works if you set your daily study goals wisely.

If Goals Are Too Low

If you set your daily goals too low, the share price will rise easily, but you might end up studying too little overall. The share price becomes artificially high and loses its meaning.

If Goals Are Too High

If you set your daily goals too high, it will be very difficult to raise the share price. A falling share price might even demotivate you rather than inspire you to work harder.

Finding the Sweet Spot

The key is to set daily goals that are challenging but not overwhelming:

• You should feel a sense of accomplishment with 100% goal achievement
• When you exceed the goal, it should feel very rewarding
• Missing the goal by a bit shouldn't feel catastrophic

When these conditions are met, your goals are set correctly.

Combining with Other Motivation Features

The share price works best alongside Athenify's other motivation features:

• Medals: Earn medals for high-effort days that also boost your share price
• Streaks: Maintain your streak while watching your share price climb
• Analytics: See how your share price correlates with your productivity patterns

Together, these features create a comprehensive system that keeps you engaged throughout the semester.

Start Tracking Your Share Price

Ready to see your study efforts reflected in a rising share price?

Try Athenify and discover all features designed to keep you motivated.

Read what other students say about how these motivation tools have transformed their study habits.