Writing Goals
Most of us have them right? They may be long term, monthly or daily or a combination of all three… but just like New Year Resolutions we fall off that wagon a lot don’t we? We get too tired, or procrastinate by doing housework, paperwork or reading the news. We blog to feel like we are writing, we get trapped on social networks and suddenly it’s the afternoon and we have nothing accomplished.
Well, you have made a start in the right direction this weekend because you are here, gifting yourself writing time.
Motivate Your Mindset
Long term goals are necessary but can often feel far away and can make us feel unaccomplished on a daily level.
Try to start small. Sit for an hour to write or use a word count limit. Remember to reward yourself for this.
The reward is key here because the satisfaction of writing isn’t tangible and sometimes we know we have put the time in but the result is bad writing, so it becomes too easy to beat ourselves up and lose motivation. Avoid the ‘what’s the point valley’!
Sit for a while and create a list of rewards.
Scroll down to see mine.
- A glass of wine.
- A soak in the bath with luxury products.
- Half an hour reading.
- A coffee and a magazine.
- £1.00 in the kitty for a retail treat.
- An episode of a favourite TV programme. (I am a writer I watch far less TV than I used to!)
- A walk in the park.
- A coffee and cake at a favourite cafe.
- Go out for a drink. (I am a poet, most of my social outings are work!)
- A foot spa/ face mask/ pamper
Make sure your list is personal to you, it has to include things you really want/to do, otherwise what is the point of working towards your reward?
It also needs to be something you can do easily after you achieve your writing goal. You may want to return to your writing space and repeat another hour of writing afterwards. I wouldn’t recommend gin/wine options as rewards unless you have reached the end of your daily writing. Although Hemingway would beg to differ!
Your reward has to be special, it shouldn’t be something you would normally do. TV for me is an indulgence nowadays. If I watch any at all it is on the planner or to spend time with Mr. G.
The Coaching Secrets
The secret of motivation: you provide your own motivation and we all know hard work reaps rewards, eventually. ‘You get out what you put in’ and all that.
The secret of the reward: after several months of tracking daily writing with rewards you will reprogram your brain. You will associate writing as a good thing not some painful, uphill endurance task.
awritersfountain 