Writing Lessons from My Dogs: Motivation

The Whistler ball changed my pup Misha’s life. At least for a while. The second I’d bring it out of the car, he’d start dancing. As soon as we made it into the dog park, he was off and running. Talk about motivation! Even though he’d been lukewarm about balls, he kept chasing the Whistler as long as I would throw it. Then he’d return home and conk out for the rest of the day–precisely what any owner of a young, energetic dog wants. Fast forward a year. Misha still dances when he first sees the ball. But one or two throws in, and I’m doing more retrieving than he is. Much to my dismay, complacency has lessened his motivation to run. Fortunately, take him to new digs or let him loose in the wilds with one of his besties, and that motivation springs out of hibernation. If you write, I’m guessing you’ve experienced motivation lapses. We all do. While some of us give up on our writing, others find a way to galvanize themselves. Since I much prefer the latter option, here are some ideas on how to do that:

• Writing is, by definition, quite solitary. While you can’t play a duet on the keyboard, you can successfully bring others into the process as long as you do it carefully. The right writing group or writing coach can provide a terrific forum for brainstorming. And there’s nothing more motivating than an exciting idea or five.
• If you’ve been working on a project for a long time, writing sloppy copy about why you wanted to write the book in the first place can help you rekindle your mojo. A while ago, one of my writing coach clients kept letting life get in the way of his writing. We had talked about priorities, and he assured me the book was high on the list. We had talked about time blocking, and he assured me that he had calendared three weekly chunks of time. When neither of those discussions seemed to make a noticeable difference, we started talking about why he wanted to write the book. That’s when he realized that his book wasn’t about him. It was about helping others. Bingo! All the lights went back on.
• You’ll also want to check in with yourself. Even though Misha can’t talk, his actions tell me that he’s a bit bored with the Whistler ball and the dog park. Talk about a motivation killer. Figure out what blows your skirt up. (I love that expression!) Maybe you just need a change of venue. That works for Misha. Heck, taking a walk in nature (even a virtual one, if that’s the only option) can help get you unstuck.
• Finally, make sure you’re not setting yourself up for failure. If everything you do on the writing front—including setting unrealistic expectations you’ll never be able to meet—makes you feel bad about yourself as a writer, your motivation is going to tank. Luckily, the reverse is also true. Here’s to that!