I don’t know about you, but when I first get the inspiration to pursue a goal, I’m on fire! It’s all I think about and that kind of laser focus can become a bit obsessive 😉 I’m talking about it with people, I’m doing things outside my comfort zone and I’m excited to make it a reality. Sometimes I can maintain that flame to the end, other times that fire peters out to no fire at all.
So what makes the difference? Why is it that there are times where I can maintain my motivation to do what needs to be done, and other times when I really can’t be bothered? For me, I think the difference lies in why I chose to go after the goal in the first place.
The idea to write a book was in my mind for years before I actually did it. In 2010 I joined a 60-Day Writer’s Challenge. I got 100+ pages in and decided that it wasn’t the book I wanted to write. I had an accountability partner, shared in the group and received positive feedback, but none of that was enough to keep me motivated to finish what I started.
Fast-forward to 2013. I was given the opportunity to write an article for a friend who was the editor of a local magazine. I said yes before I knew what I was going to write about because I was so excited about the opportunity to have something published in a magazine! I decided to write about my experience with depression after my father died and how I managed to deal with it in a positive way.
I never expected the response from complete strangers who thanked me for sharing my experience, saying that it gave them hope because they lost someone in their own family. The feedback from that 2-page article is what inspired me to get back to my book. It made me wonder how many people I could impact if I wrote a book given those that said they benefitted from the book.
Getting clear on why I wanted to write my book made the difference. It wasn’t about me sharing my story, but what I hoped to achieve in doing so. That clarity inspired me to commit to a self-publishing deal before writing a page of the book and completing the first draft in 6 weeks! I had that laser focus I mentioned earlier. I wrote practically every day in those six weeks. The goal was to write 4 pages a day. Some days it happened, and other days I stared at a blank page for most of the day. It didn’t matter though – I was committed to completing the book and didn’t get discouraged by momentary writer’s block.
We hear so much about knowing your why and there’s a reason for it. When your why is strong enough, there is nothing that will stop you from doing what needs to be done, even when you’re faced with disappointments and obstacles. You accept those negative experiences as part of the journey and not a sign that your goal isn’t meant to be.
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