When I was deciding what article to publish first, this topic stuck out to me. It wasn't because I expected it to be a literary masterpiece, or because the topic is terribly interesting. The reason was simply because every writer – whether they're a rookie or a veteran – can benefit from it. While you read this article, look into your own desire to write and think about how it has impacted your life thus far.
What is Motivation?
For starters, let's identify what I mean by “motivation.” When you Google motivation, the first definition you'll find is: “the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action.” The reason for the action – no more complicated then that. It's the reason you want to write in the first place, not why you want to work on your current project.
“That's great and all, but why would I need to spend time focusing on such an abstract thing? Seems like a waste of time to me. Let's get writing!” Is it really a waste of time? Life will never stop throwing challenges at you, and those challenges usually effect other parts of your life in ways you wouldn't expect. To someone that doesn't understand why they write, it may end up being one of the first things to get cut. Why would you want to risk that? Combined with the challenges of life, every writer will face trials that are unique to our field (don't tell me you've never experienced “writer's block”). Reminding yourself why you started writing in the first place will help you continue writing in the future.
My Motivation
To aid you in understanding motivation, let me tell you what mine is. One of the central beliefs I have is that we are not on this earth for ourselves; we're here for other people. Knowing that, the reason I write is to help others understand concepts that may be impossible for me to express through another medium.
Now, compare what you just read to “the reason for the action.” Helping others is the reason for the action, but it's so much more then that. When I feel like giving up on the whole “writing thing,” I force myself to think back to why I started. It's usually all I need to keep going.
Your Motivation Statement
Alright, you read a lot of information about what motivation is and why it's important, but how do decide on it for yourself? Think about a time when you wrote something and thought to yourself, “Hey, I'd like to do this more often.” It was at that point in your life that writing moved away from “something I have to do” into the realm of “something I want to do.” What were you writing about or who were you writing to when you made that leap?
Once you've decided, change those details into a future focused statement. “My essay received praise from colleagues,” should change to, “Writing results in people appreciating me.” To increase its effectiveness, make sure your motivation statement is not much longer then a sentence.
Write it down, store it in a safe place for future reference, and you're done! |
