5 Ways to Stay Motivated When You Don’t Want to Write

It’s a two-coffee day here. I usually try to stick with one, but I’m not feeling motivated to write, I’m tired, I have a million things on my mind. There is also the holy sh*t realization that it’s actually September, which means four months left in the year. As we turn toward a new season, what do I want to accomplish by December 31? 

If, like me, you were a tad bit ambitious (finish one book! Complete a draft of another!) it can be a good idea to recalibrate your expectations, or re-commit to your original goal no matter what. 

Maybe you’ve let your writing drift over the summer. Maybe the disruption of COVID-19 has torpedoed your will to write. I know my life has changed dramatically from January to now (my mother passed away, I left my university administrative job, I’ve dealt with various health issues, and am developing my “side hustle” into my full-time business) and so progress on my writing goals has lagged. 

But I am not just counting down the months until January 2021, and you don’t have to either. Motivation is a verb, and you can actively seek it, rather than waiting around for it to jump in your lap like an overeager puppy. The truth is, waiting around to “feel motivated” doesn’t work. Doing the work is what motivates you to continue. I didn’t particularly feel motived to write this blog post today, but I’ve set myself to post weekly, on Wednesday, and since today is Tuesday I have to get on it.      

That is certainly one way to increase your motivation – to create an externally-motivated deadline and stick to it. By externally-motivated I mean one that exists outside your own head. Granted, in my case thousands of people are not waiting breathlessly for my next blog post. In fact, I doubt anyone would notice if I put it out on another day. I am still experimenting with the best day to publish, so it may not go out every Wednesday. But committing to regular practice and sticking to that commitment is incredibly motivating. 

There’s the tried-and-true don’t break the chain method as well: put a red X on the calendar (or otherwise mark) each day you complete a task you told yourself you’d do daily. After a while, the desire not to break the chain overcomes your resistance to doing the task. Even if your daily goal is tiny – 10 or 15 minutes of writing – it adds up, and seeing the results will spur you to do more.   

A writing coach (cough, hint), can also be a great motivator, not just in terms of being a cheerleader but in the sense that there are deadlines you have to meet, and you’ve paid a lot of money to secure a time slot, so you are committed to showing up with something. If you can’t afford a coach, of course there is also the alternative of a writing accountability partner, but then, it can be easy to make excuses to a sympathetic friend so beware.

 Another great money-linked motivator is www.stickk.com, where you can sign up to either meet your goal, or money automatically goes to an organization you despise. You choose the amount and the organization. The more money you commit and the more you hate the organization and everything it stands for, the better. Another fun “stick vs. carrot” motivator is www.writeordie.com.   

Finally, you can Remember Your Why. Why do you want to be a writer? Why do you want to write this particular book? This can be a great journal prompt to get you going again. So can its opposite: Start with I don’t want to write this book because… and see what comes up. Set a timer for 15 minutes, and don’t take your hand from the page. (I suggest doing these types of freewrites with pen and paper, since you will have more direct mind-body connection.) Allow yourself to go deep. What’s really blocking you? What’s really inspiring you? You may be surprised by what you discover.  

There you go – five ways to actively motivate yourself to write, instead of waiting around to hopefully feel motivated. What works for you? If you have other ideas, hit me up in the comments!