Get Motivated: Your Way Is The Right Way

Do you doubt yourself? Can’t get motivated?

Maybe you’re following someone else’s rules for creativity, and they’re not right for you.

If you can’t get motivated to write, consider which rule you’re trying to follow

Maybe it’s not your rule at all.

Is it:

• “Best practice”;
• What “everyone” does;
• (A loud, nagging inner voice, which sounds a lot like your first-ever boss, or your mother) “This is the way we do it here…”

It’s almost impossible to get motivated, and creative, if you’re following someone else’s rules.

Your creative self doesn’t like rules.

If writing is hard for you, regard all rules with skepticism, and be prepared to change them at any time. (Although it takes time to discover your own rules, journaling helps.)

Important: deadlines aren’t “rules”. They’re reality. Your creative self can be much like a child, so develop boundaries for your creativity.

How to discover your own rules for creativity (and get motivated)

Start with these commonsense rules.

1. No rules work all the time, or work for everyone. Not even those rules you created for yourself, which worked so many times in the past.
2. Pay attention. Be observant. I’ve stumbled over this rule too many times. Way back in my school days, I misread examination questions. Later, I skimmed and misread the occasional client brief. When you pay attention, you can save yourself a lot of misery.
3. Action counts above all. Act:

When you commit to ACTION, you don’t have time to overthink anything. Action avoids premature judgments and overthinking.

Let’s look at an example of doing things your way: blogging.

Are you struggling with blogging?

Blog your way, as Seth Godin does

From Timothy Ferriss, in Tools of Titans (referring to Seth Godin’s blogging strategy):

He simply focuses on putting out good and short daily posts, he ignores the rest, and he continues to thrive. There are no real rules, so make rules that work for you.

Whenever you feel unmotivated, ask yourself which rule you’re following.

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