Mondays.
The hardest day of the week for me and many others. For most because they face getting up and going to the 9-5 job. Yes, I have to get up, but I only have to walk 6 feet from my bed to my office desk. How great is that!
Whether you leave home for work or not, Mondays are about motivation. I look at my weekly calendar of scheduled work and can too easily feel overwhelmed. Especially if I’m not seeing any results with the work I’ve been doing.
For writers working a day job and writing at night (or in the early hours before work), it’s finding motivation to sit down and write when you’re tired or facing other family responsibilities.
Those are days when we have to implement a self-motivation plan.
Here’s mine…
- Pray.
Because my primary purpose is to help writers get their Christian message out into the world, I stop to discern if what I’m feeling is a spiritual attack and I pray accordingly. I spend some time in thankfulness to God and shift my focus from my workload to Him. This allows the Holy Spirit to flood me with His peace. I wish I could say prayer is my first resort whenever I face an issue, but I go to God much more quickly now than I ever used to.
- Know your Why.
By this I mean, why are you doing what you’re doing? If your *why* isn’t strong enough, it won’t motivate you when you really need it. My why is: to use my skills and talents to teach others and help them overcome obstacles so they can get their message out to the world. This is like a mission statement, but the driving force behind *why* are the values most important to you.
- Keep a file of encouragement.
I keep hard copies because I’ve had clients send me cards. Besides, with hard copies I can get away from my laptop for a much needed change of view.
I cut articles out of newspapers or magazines that I find encouraging or motivational. I also keep clips of interviews, book signings, and press releases that appear in the paper as signposts of my past successes. Save or print out motivational memes/posters. I keep one taped to the wall in front of me. All I have to do is glance up from my laptop to see it and remind myself “I can do this!”
But unmotivated days aren’t reserved for Mondays. They hit any day and at any time. That’s why it’s good to have a plan in place so you don’t get derailed (at least not for long).
Because creative people seem more prone to feeling down, I recommend all writers develop a plan for encouragement and motivation so you can continue writing and submitting your book.
I’ve listed my top 3, but for you they might be different. Find what works and write it down. Then the next time you feel unmotivated, you’ll be prepared to counterattack and stay on track.
Download the image above as a printable poster (8×10, no email required)