It’s been a moment since I last posted. Ok, try half a year. Much has been happening in my life, but I haven’t known how to turn those thoughts and feelings into writing.
So I want to begin by writing one thought at a time. Isn’t that what weblogs are supposed to be, after all?
Motivation, that Sly Energy
Motivation has for a long time been a tricky aspect of life for me. There are many things I’d like to do, goals I want to pursue, but very often I don’t seem close to doing them. It’s easy to fear that I don’t know how to pursue my interests, or perhaps that there is a disconnect between what I think my values are, and what I actually spend time and efforts on.
A friend of mine and I talk about motivation often. We agree that motivation seems to be such a nebulous energy. She may be excited to get off work so she can do such-and-such a task, only to find that when she gets home, the excitement is gone and so she does something else entirely.
Funny thing, I take my friend to be an incredibly motivated person, so how could she see herself otherwise? It can be very much in the eye of the beholder. Here are some other things I’ve learned regarding motivation:
1) Systematize Rewards
About a year ago an acquaintance explained to me the concept of a rewards system, and it’s stuck with me ever since. Sometimes we take on small projects that seem insurmountable in themselves, so it can be helpful to have a small reward for yourself once you’ve completed it. Two things I enjoy doing are eating sweets and playing video games. Many times I’ve gotten through a task by taking small video game or snack breaks. However, it’s also helpful to recognize when rewards aren’t necessary, that you’re perfectly fine getting on with things without it.
2) Distract Productively
It was very helpful once I realized that in the face of an important task that takes focus, minor rabbit trails can be an aid, not a hindrance. If my will in the moment is met by stubborn opposition, I will pick a short, but productive task to accomplish before I continue. Sometimes it takes several tiny tasks to gain enough momentum to finally “get down to business.”
3) Sometimes Just Do
It can be a damaging myth that a bootstraps mentality can get you through most any block in motivation. Sometimes method #2 above isn’t practical because you need your whole twenty minutes to complete a task. In this case it’s probably best to just pump it out in the best way possible. But as life would have it, we sometimes do have ample time. Then we can ask ourselves, do I really need to be stubborn with this, or would it be better to push this away and rest my mind for a sec?
4) Decipher What You Can Control
Now we swim into subjective waters by talking about such an issue as control. I believe motivation is largely linked to control issues. Sometimes I get bitter about what I haven’t accomplished, thinking I ought to be able to follow through with any goal I so wish. It’s important to know what types of things we can control and those we can’t. Making goals which completely misestimate our capabilities often lead to burn-out, plain poor results, or starting from scratch.
5) Do What I Just Did
Everyone has their own motivational cues. I’m not so sure I believe in Seven Habits to making people effective, even though that was a pretty darn good book. I encourage you to determine which approaches you tend to lean toward--perhaps they represent some of these I‘ve mentioned. Reject those habits which consistently don’t work. A method of production I learned in college was to redeem time between classes by attempting one, two, or three manageable tasks or assignments by the time I had to leave for the next class. What are your cues?
As always, pay attention to what others seem to do that works. Perhaps they are like my friend and myself, who are too hard on themselves when it comes to motivation. Find people you know who appear to use their time wisely, and ask them what they do that works. Motivation can be an intimate thing, however, so you may be given more to chew on than you might expect.
Blog Explanation
Now that I’ve gotten some thoughts down on motivation, I want to communicate the purpose of my blog and how I aim to accomplish that.
> A collection of thoughts…Some day I’d love to write a book of essays, and those thoughts need to begin somewhere. I’d like to be a novelist, a memoirist, a journalist, or a freelancer. Some day I’d like to say I’ve been a writer for a long time.
> A hub for my writing…when I’m not blogging I’m writing video game reviews, looking for freelancing opportunities, deciding where my passions lie. All these are actions worth writing about and connecting to my blog.
< A journal…notice I said when I’m not blogging, I’m journaling, etc. This blog isn’t meant for me to pour out my insecurities about writing, being a professional or anything like that. I’d like to stick to the positive, and give you something from what I know.
I recognize that when I created this blog last summer it had a different focus. For now I’m keeping all those posts about literature, fic sketches and the community. They were a path to where I am now.
Thanks for bearing with my progress!
Sincerely,
Moore.jr
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