It's a new year.
It's also a new January as well as a new first Wednesday in January.
That can only mean one thing....
...o.k...it can mean more than one thing....but, in this instance, it means another Insecure Writer's Support Group post.
The IWSG is the brainchild of the ninja-captain himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh. It's a neat tool to express things about writing that make us a bit less than secure.
This month, I'd like to talk about something I've talked about before....and still haven't done anything about.
M-O-T-I-V-A-T-I-O-N
Sometimes, it gets harder and harder to get motivated. I'm not going to even say my life is "hectic" or "complicated", because it's not. I have a pretty laid back life down in here in sunny Florida,as far as things go. It's all a matter of kicking myself in the tail and sitting down to write.
One of last year's goals for the coming year was to write for, at least, an hour a day. I've fallen short of that....by quite a lot. Again, not that I didn't have the time.....but the gumption (as they say in Kentucky) was lacking.
Lack of motivation was one of my stumbling blocks with this past year's NaNo project. That's why I leave the "participant" badge on my sidebar...to remind me that I fell short.
Now, not to beat myself up too much, I do realize where my weaknesses lie, but I also know there are some strengths I can fall back on. Better organization, better time management, etc. Actually sitting down with fewer distractions and some clear goals, I think, will help me jump this small hurdle.
We'll see how it goes and, hopefully, this will be the last IWSG post that mentions the "M" word.
How do you stay/get motivated?
16 comments:
Set your goals and then go for it whether you feel motivated or not.
I guess for me, once I decide to do something, I just do it. I get so busy working on it that I don't stop to think about and distractions or problems.
"Just do it" is -definitely- the key and something I need to ingrain in myself. Thanks, as always, for the comments Alex :)
A good method I've found is the 10 minute hack - each morning you write for 10 minutes before you've done anything else. Make it the first thing you do so you've no excuses. Eventually, you'll get into the groove again and you'll be writing like a madman.
Jamie Gibbs
IWSG co-host
Mithril Wisdom
Awesome tip, thanks Jamie. I'll definitely give that a try :)
True motivation comes from within - and sometimes you have to fake it until you make it.
Wow, so very true, Diane....thanks!
Visiting from IWSG. I believe motivation comes from different places. Thinking about my goals and ambitions keeps me motivated. Best of luck with yours I'm sure you'll find it.
Thank you Suzanne and I think you're right. We all find motivation differently and I guess I just need to find my own source and keep tapping it :)
I write down my goals, make lists, realize that I'm just procrastinating and then start writing . . .actually, sometimes the lists help. Sometimes I turn up some music and jump around a bit (gets me a little exercise) and that gets me relaxed enough to write (although it also embarasses my kids). Organization helps, exercise helps, and just plain sitting down and making it happen helps.
Nice motivation post!
Brilliant. I love that you know your strengths and weaknesses. And that's HUGE. It's all about knowing ourselves, and then pushing ourselves. I love this New Year energy--I can usually ride this wave for the next couple of months before I need to kick myself into gear again. Great post. :D
Thanks Tyrean and you're absolutely right. Just plain sitting down -does- make it happen. Something I also need to do more of. :D
Thank you, Morgan! So very true....knowing and pushing are definitely key, as far as I'm concerned. These posts and, especially, the comments by all the great bloggers, really help to spur me on. I truly appreciate them all and thanks again :)
Hey Mark, Motivation is a hard one. And, for me, I never know what will trigger the few motivation streaks I had last year. And, even the beginning of this year, the motivation is a little hard to come by because for the first time in 7 years, I do have some time. I'm never satisfied. All I can say is start with something small and just gain momentum from there. Here's to a great year.
I burned out last year around October. This year, I hope to remain motivated by making lists. Not allowing me to work over the hours I've designated, and keep focus on what is important.
Happy 2013!
I think the 'making lists' thing is a pretty popular, as well as efficient' tool in getting those goals accomplished.
Thanks Ciara and hope you have a great 2013 too :)
Well, whatever is triggering your motivation don't question it...just try to harness it :D I think that I'll be starting with small goals, for sure, and see how far that gets me.
Hope you have a great 2013 and thanks for the comment :)
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