Motivation Takes You Nowhere
Be Real. Waiting for Motivation is Your Enemy
When I began writing, I thought to write something good motivation was a requisite. No wonder I wrote once a week. Motivation is the last thing you need to write. I was lazy, not motivated. I’d sit and wonder when the motivation would come. When could I start writing? Oh, how foolish I used to be.
It never came, obviously, and I gave up my writing ambitions for a while. Until one day, I had the realization that there was no reservoir of motivation waiting for me to discover. My idea of deriving productivity from motivation ceased to exist.
That’s not to say it doesn’t exist for some because it does. You know that motivated friend of yours. The one that has a job, personal projects, household projects, and manages to be more fit than an Olympic athlete. They must have some secret gene, unknown to geneticists, that gives the carriers unlimited motivation.
I’ll never be that person, and that’s okay. I don’t think I want that anyway. It’s nice to be lazy at times and not feel guilty about it. However, having a knack for writing is something I want.
The only way for me, and countless others, is to develop a commitment and dedication to the improvement of our skills. Motivation is a fictitious creation — an ideal belief for those who don’t genuinely want to achieve something. It was perfect for me.
I convinced myself I had to be motivated to write, which meant I never had to write.
Reality slapped me in the face. I had to create a make believe motivation in the form of commitment. If I didn’t commit to the trade, I’d have a black hole within my body, causing me to lose my positivity.
People who have an honest desire for accomplishment know motivation has nothing to do with their success. The most productive individuals will tell you they don’t have innate motivation. They work because they’re committed to accomplishing their goals.
No matter your ambition, you have to start somewhere, and that’s the hardest part. Sitting down, removing distractions, and working is the first hill to overcome.
It’s not fun or exciting. It sure as hell isn’t always rewarding, but you have to do it.
Pick a topic, set aside your phone and all other distractions, and write. Write with passion and emotion for 30 minutes, and something workable will result.
It won’t be pretty, and it probably won’t be good. But it can be and will be with commitment.
Do not leave the fate of your craft in the hands of a fleeting, idealistic phenomenon. You don’t plan on being rich by winning the lottery, so don’t plan on being a good writer by discovering some inherent motivation.
Learn from me. I waited nearly a year to give my goals another shot. Don’t do that. Start now.
Practice. Fail. Get Frustrated. Practice More. Fail Again.
Make a bet with yourself to reach some level of writing, whether it’s to make your first $1,000 from writing or to publish a book.
Commit yourself to the goal or the bet and work at it every day. Write, edit, and read. Find novels, non-fiction works, blogs, articles, research papers, and all that you can.
Surround yourself with the field, and you’ll improve your knowledge and craft, and your commitment to writing will be fruitful.
You will build your writing capabilities until, one day, you’ll look back on the start of your journey with gratitude and reverence for the person you were. The person that could commit and work hard while overcoming obstacles and the dread of starting.
You’ll laugh when you read motivational quotes because you know nothing can motivate you. Only you can choose dedication and commitment as traits.
