This audio and slide presentation from a recent keynote extends BJ Fogg’s work on motivation and habits. If you are unfamiliar with his ideas and resources, take a look at his group’s website, particularly the resources page (and particularly the Behavior Model and Behavior Grid).
The talk here focuses on leveraging periods of higher motivation.
I have seen graphs showing the motivation of students learning English in Japan. There are peaks and there are troughs (mostly one big peak at the beginning, followed by one long depressing trough. If BJ Fogg is right, then it means that teachers should be doing some very important things at the beginning of term, especially with first year students. I wonder how many make the “mistake” of putting off instituting new behaviors and actions that will facilitate future behaviors in the those first precious weeks of April.