Choosing Your Idols
Choosing Your Idols
It isn’t easy to keep improving and it’s going to take a long time before you’re great. So how can we stay motivated? Better yet, how can we ramp up that motivation? Maybe you are writing a few hours a week, but you feel frustrated with how little it feels like you're accomplishing. Maybe you wish you were writing more, but can't seem to force yourself to make the time. How do you change your priorities? How do you go from wanting it to WANTING IT?
We're social creatures. Much of what we find valuable has to do with what we see in the hands of our peers. A neighbor gets a new car, your friend buys that expensive pair of designer shoes, that girl from your high school lands a job with that big tech company you’ve always thought was cool. All of a sudden you’re thinking about how you should have saved up more for those shiny toys, or you’re freaking out because you studied History instead of Computer Science. Hearing about the success of others can be distressing, especially when those successes seem so far out of reach.
What if we could turn that negativity into motivation? What if you were already on the path toward what what your peers had? Maybe their success wouldn’t be discouraging. Maybe their success would be motivating. Let’s try embracing the trope of Keeping up with the Joneses, but instead of buying a new BMW--write your next book.
Keeping up with the Sandersons
Social media is playing an ever-expanding role in our lives. Lucky for us, we decide who we follow, subscribe to, or like. Let’s turn that to our advantage. Follow a few less Instagram models, athletes, and movie stars. Instead, follow an author you admire, or a screenwriter you hope to one day emulate. Follow Brandon Sanderson on Instagram, and take in the mountains of fan art that people send him. Follow N.K. Jemisin on Twitter and watch her shape the public discourse on social issues. Read about their book tours in Europe, their meetings with Hollywood Execs, their rousing commencement speeches at their alma maters. Fill your feeds with publisher accounts that post upcoming releases. Pay attention to writing awards and participate in the voting when you can. Spend a little bit less time on Facebook and more time on Goodreads.
Surround yourself with what you want and what you love. Soon you won’t be able to stop thinking about writing. You’ll pass up re-watching that episode of Friends for a few more hours reading, writing, or learning about the craft. And the best part is, it won’t feel like a chore.
Choose your idols. Make writing your form of worship. Feel good while being productive and working toward your dreams.
