Practical Writing Motivation
Now to apply the research to writing. A few days ago, I posted about my latest readings on motivation and productivity. I have three “idea” and personal goals for the year, but I’m still working on my writing and career goals.
(Sorry about all these posts. I wrote them a few days ago, while strategizing for the year. I’ll be done in a week. 
If you’re a numbers person, check out my spreadsheets with the pretty graphs that track word count and multiple book projects. All, except the Google one, have been updated. If you want one customized to you, just email me at spyscribbler through gmail and I’ll be happy to help.
If you’re looking for some different ideas on self-motivation, keep reading.
1. Set learning goals instead of performance goals. For big goals, learn to write a novel with multiple viewpoints is better than sell a novel to New York. On a day-to-day basis, try focusing on paragraph construction, or juggling sentence structure, or rhythm, or getting deeper into a character’s emotion.
2. Expect and treasure the grit. A lot of mastery isn’t fun. In sports, you’ve got the endless sit-ups and weight-lifting and whatnot. It’s been proven that the more you embrace and do the grit work, the more successful you are.
How to enjoy the grit work? I don’t know. I like feeling sore in sports, but I’m not sure there’s a writing equivalent.
3. Visualize the work and the obstacles, not the end result. Studies show that visualizing the achievement, like your books on the shelf or whatnot, makes you happier, but they actually hinder your progress and motivation in the long run.
Instead, visualize the day-to-day work. Tiger Woods visualizes his golf swing, not the trophy. You can throw in the trophy, but first visualize the possible obstacles to your goal, and then visualize yourself mastering those obstacles.
4. Make mastery goals. I’ve said before that art is striving toward unreachable perfection. Mastery is the same way. “Mastery attracts because mastery eludes.”
Writing the “perfect” novel may be a good lifetime goal, but on a day-to-day basis to avoid the perfectionism trap, Daniel Pink suggests asking yourself, “Was I better today than yesterday?”
5. Practice deliberately. Always change. If you keep doing the same practice, you will get the same results. When you catch yourself saying, “But I have to do it this way,” then change. Try a new way. Shake things up. Stretch yourself. Change your approach.
6. Chase flow. Figure out how you get in the flow, and then go after it. Flow is the ultimate intrinsic reward, and the gist of what I’ve researched this week has been it’s more motivating to replace extrinsic with intrinsic goals.
7. Profit as a pathway to purpose: Money objectives are more powerful if you make them a pathway to a life purpose, like a charity or a “calling” or whatnot.
For example, in my last story, sure, I wanted to be able to pay the bills. But that stresses me out and worries me and makes me second-guess.
But when I make my goal to touch my readers’ hearts, or to make them feel understood and respected and accepted, I’m motivated.
8. Schedule a weekly Play Day: Confession time: I used to do this with my student’s piano assignments. One practice a week, they could practice ANYTHING they wanted, for as little or as long as they wanted. One year, I started making the “play day” optional, and there was a HUGE DIFFERENCE in student motivation. That play day felt silly when we had so much to accomplish, but in reality, the motivation they lost when they skipped the play day did not make up for the extra day of “real work” they did. In fact, it put them at –1.
Studies show that spending twenty percent of your working life on meaningful, purposeful, and/or fun work strictly for YOUR purpose and/or pleasure, prevents burnout and increases both happiness and motivation.
And increases creativity.
So take a day each week, or at least an afternoon, to experiment. Write something just for you, not for your goals. Write a poem. Write a letter to the editor about a cause you’re passionate about. Play with that novel you don’t think is marketable. Try a new voice, or a new point of view.
Play!
What think you on all this? Any other tips to share?
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Natasha Fondren is a writer traveling the U.S. in a camper with her four cats. She is currently enjoying the lizards and desert heat in Arizona.
Good post. Great advice. Thanks!
PS: Love the graphs
LOL, Michael. Thanks!
I like this post a lot. I like the TIger Woods analogy, even if it makes me want to throw out a few snide remarks.
And the play day concept is interesting, especially in music. I’ve found myself doing that recently with the guitar. I know some of it has to do if I’m working on a piece that I don’t like as much as others, so I’ll run through it once or twice then go and sight read new pieces or play stuff that I like. I figure–and my teacher seems to agree–that it’s helpful in general.
So to apply that to writing, since I’m a full-time freelancer that usually has a never-ending stream of work, yeah, I don’t know if I can afford a full day to just play, but sometimes I need to take a couple hours and just play with fiction.
Mark, I was waiting for the Tiger Woods remarks, LOL! In the book, he talked about the companies who are doing “play days.” Google included. They’ve gotten some insane amount of future projects from them, like 60 or something percent, I forget. Some hospitals and law firms do the same thing, with pro bono work, or whatever work is the most meaningful to the person.
I keep trying to schedule one in, and I get immensely guilty. But I’m going to do it. At least half a day.
Good points. It’s peculiar, I have a hard time forcing myself to write regularly. I often don’t feel up to it, not inspired enough, not enough time etc. But when I was running I always managed to run regularly, no matter how I felt, no matter the weather, and if time was short I did a short run. So I should try to be as diligent about writing as I was about running. However, I think part of the reason for the diligence was that the physical improvement from regular running was obvious, and thus an incentive, whereas writing improvement is perhaps harder to see.
Eric, I need to get on a schedule, I think. That is so cool! I wish I were running. You know, didn’t you mention you had ADD? I’ve found that I can concentrate and work through physical stuff SO much easier than strictly mental stuff.
Which is what writing is.
My first visit to your blog! Interesting background… Gonna look around!
Thanks, Alexis! Glad to have you!
What a great post! That’s what I think. And I would like it a lot if you expanded this post, taking it down to the practical writing issues of these points you’ve raised. You’re on such a roll I’d hate to see you quit.
By the way, I asked the martial artist I’ve studied under the longest what he recommended in these matters and he said, “Get to work. Quit asking me questions.” We’re trying to get him into sensitivity training, but it’s hard.
LOL, Rick, but I said everything! I think. I’ll give it a shot. I don’t have a lot of blog ideas, so it’s worth a try.
That is so cool. I’m up to hiking now. That seems better on my foot than walking or running, for some bizarre reason. I haven’t been able to do TKD in three years, now, but… I still consider that I’m practicing with my heart, lol. I’m doing my forms again. I can pivot on my foot! That’s a big improvement!
Beautiful post, my friend! And it’s so true that having a “play” day boosts motivation. I learned that concept in Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way (really cool stuff in there). Anyway, a play day is a great reward, as well as a diversion. Also, it’s a good way to refill the creative well.
I don’t have anything to add to your list. Somehow I have to email it to myself so I can keep it as a guideline.
Is that possible?
P.S. Love Mark’s comment on Woods,
Aw, thanks, Kath. It does! And I don’t know why it’s the first thing I drop when I feel stressed, because it’s what will increase my motivation the most.
I emailed it to you. I hope. Let me know if you didn’t get it!
PS: LOL! I was waiting for someone to make some remark, LOL!
I love the idea of scheduling a “play day”. Then you don’t have to feel guilty when you’re not being productive!
I know, Robin! That’s the theory, any way. I had my first one today! I only feel one drop of guilty. Got my mojo stirring again!