Motivation and Discipline
And why walking the dog will NOT take five hours
I'm one of those annoying people who ride a bike that doesn't go anywhere. This bike description is a good metaphor for my writing some days. I was on a ride a few months ago. The instructor brought up the difference between motivation and discipline. He talked about the myth of motivation, that motivation is what we need to see results when really what we need is discipline.
Motivation is emotional.
Discipline is active.
Motivation is temporary.
Discipline is routine.
Motivation can be the beginning.
Discipline is what drives us to the finish line.
I used to go stretches without completing any writing tasks. I had young kids, dogs, a house, errands, too many Amazon boxes. I would feel guilty, irritable. Writing is part of who I am and I had to decide not to fight it. I had to embrace writing as my creative outlet, but I wasn't sure how to make time.
I was a parent using reward systems with my kids then (now that they're older, I just shame them into doing things) and wondered if they would work for me, too. I like rewards. A peanut butter cup, or three if I complete a chapter. Half an hour of filling virtual carts with clothing I won't buy if I rewrite a difficult paragraph. A glass of wine while I research agents. I forgo the sticker charts; although, it's not a bad idea.
Turns out, I am reward-driven. I don't always need them. There are days when scrolling through Query Tracker is interesting and even exciting. On the days when I need a little help, a nice trip to the coffee shop to write is a great motivator.
Some writers get caught up in the "what happens next" question. Don't confuse motivation with a muse. Not knowing how to start or continue a story is not a motivation issue, it's some other kind of issue that is a different post *waves hands in the air undecidedly*. You can struggle with a story and still complete writing tasks. You can still be motivated to find the answers you're looking for by reading, trying writing prompts, signing up for and reading writing newsletters (wink wink), etc. It's the devotion to the time spent doing these things that lead us to disciplined work.
Motivation is not bad, it's just not the whole answer.
Enter discipline.
How is motivation different from discipline?
Being disciplined is not dependent on how we feel about a particular task. It is an appointment we keep. It is a block of time we set aside, a routine act, a clear goal we prioritize. Discipline is more organized because it isn't rooted in emotion, it's an action. We do something because we've committed to doing it, not because we want to. And that's the hard part.
What does discipline look like for writers?
While motivation is more loosey-goosey, discipline is a plan that you stick to. If you have an appointment with someone, how likely are you to cancel the morning of? Do you tell them you're too tired, don't feel like it, or have more important things to do? You would do your best to show up. Show up for yourself.
#5amwritersclub on Twitter is the perfect example. It's an early morning commitment to writing-focused activity. Writers can check-in or not. It doesn't mean you have to get words on the page. You can sit with your coffee and stare out the window while working through plot points, you can meditate on your story, you can outline, or do research. Whatever you do, do it with intent.
If early mornings aren't for you, find a time that is. Structure the time so that it serves you and your manuscript. If your focus right now is word count, go for it. If you're in the middle of revisions, decide how far you'll go in the allotted time. For me, the most important piece is that I decide at the end of the day's blocked time what I'll be doing the next day. This takes out the inevitable screen-stare-down in the wee hours. I'm ready to hover over my hot coffee and get started.
Am I great at this? No. I'm working on it. I'm tired. There are days when getting myself out of bed is like peeling the clearance sticker off a bargain book. Plus, I have the unhelpful ability to overestimate how long it will take me to complete something.
This pile of laundry is going to take half the morning to fold!
I do not have time to write for thirty minutes because I have to go to the store ALL DAY.
I have to shower AND shave my legs. I'll be back in three hours.
My therapist called this avoidance. I'm good at it.
I wrote in a past post about "the toiling hours" some writers push themselves through because they think if their eyes aren't bloodshot and they haven't downed ten cups of coffee, they must not be doing it right. If you read that post, you might be saying, "Alissa, you just told me not to be that person, to go easy on myself, that success doesn't have to mean tying myself to the keyboard!"
You're right.
But creating space to commit to your writing isn't the same as pushing yourself too far or hanging your success on how awful you feel at the end of the week. In fact, being disciplined is also about cutting yourself off, stopping at a certain point while recognizing your productivity.
Discipline is a practice that becomes a routine. No one is standing over you punching the clock or checking to make sure you're doing it "right." It's up to you. You decide.
Do you have a writing routine? What are your motivators? Let me know in the comments!
ACM