What motivates you?

A short piece about writing, keeping going and how to stay motivated

One of the best things about writing, be it poetry, fiction, or anything else, is the opportunity it presents.  Sometimes, I hear writers set unrealistic expectations of themselves, thinking that if they aren’t successful by such an age, they have failed, or if they get a bad review, their writing career is over. None of this is true. They are all just setbacks.

I would always encourage people to think about their ultimate goal when demotivated by any task. It’s important to think long and hard about this. If, for example, you decided you wanted to be a successful writer, you should really spend some time thinking about what you mean by success. Does success mean you have achieved millionaire status and all your books are in film production, you attend swanky celebrity parties etc, or does it mean that you finished that poem you have been working on for a couple of weeks?

There is no right or wrong here (except as an introvert, I would really not enjoy the swanky party). The question I have for you is this:

Let’s say, by good work or good fortune, you achieve that aim, what then?

You see, for me, motivation lies in continually challenging yourself to achieve new goals, even if they are incrementally small and always having a goal in mind. It is easy to drift your way through life, but it isn’t very exciting and I wonder how you feel at the end of a day, a week, or even a year where you didn’t achieve anything you set out to. Or worse, you didn’t set out to achieve anything at all.

There is a theory on this. It’s called future self continuity. It basically sets out that people who feel more connected to their future selves are more likely to prioritise long-term goals and make choices that benefit their future wellbeing.

What can you do today that will help future you? Imagine being able to say “Aw thanks past me, things are so much better now you did that!”

OK, it’s a bit of a leap to change your mindset, but I find that even when things go wrong, there is always a way forward.

People will almost certainly say that the biggest issue with motivation is it’s ability to vanish at any given time. Just when you need it most it suddenly takes a two week holiday in Marbella, nowhere to be seen. It can feel overwhelming, particularly when the chips are down, to keep going. I talked before about the measure of success. When you feel this way, just do one thing, anything. It can be as small as making a cup of tea. Small steps lead to bigger ones. Revisit your goals, break them down into smaller steps. Sometimes, you just don’t feel like doing any of those things. Do a small part of one of the tasks. Once you have achieved something, it is less of a leap to achieve the next.

Will I become a successful writer? Absolutely, because it will be by my own definition of success. I have said before it is the experience of writing I enjoy. The other stuff is just a bonus. I write a little every day. Sometimes I write a lot. It’s important to enjoy doing all these things along the way. Your future self will thank you for keeping going even when it was tough.

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