Monday Motivation

I’m sitting here this morning dragging. I’m beating myself up for deciding to have a blog post every Monday called Motivation Monday, when I can’t even motivate myself to write it. I said on Saturday, oh I’ve got to write this blog post. That came and went. Then Sunday: Well, I can’t write it now, it’s the first day of Nanowrimo. And then I downloaded the blizzard desktop app, so I could play a few games as rewards. Which meant that Sunday blew past and I needed to get in some more words for Nano.

Midnight arrived and I was tired, because my mind was telling me that it was already one am. Even though my husbear tried to convince me that this was the real time, the spring forward time was the fake time. I went to bed and set my alarm for early in the am, so I could get this blog post done. And there I lay, the alarm went off. I lay there and picked up the phone, turned off the alarm. I lay there and picked up my Kindle Fire, to finish reading Bookmarked by Piper Vaughn.

Eventually, I made it here. Sitting at this desk, trying to write something of substance. So, without further ado, I give you the:

Five Ways to Motivate Me.

1. Stop Looking Everywhere:

   I’d have to say the first thing is I need to stop looking on the internet for solutions on how to get my day started. Everywhere I looked, I saw writing exercises or visualizations. The truth is, I just need to get butt in seat and put words on paper. I don’t need a guru to tell me how to focus or listen to the world around me. I know in my heart that I need to sit down and get my fingers on the keyboard and to begin writing. Nine times out of ten, what comes out in the first early opening is going to be total shit. But, I know this and if I don’t do it, I’ll never do it.

2. Trust Yourself:

   For the longest time I didn’t believe I could be anything. I had an EDJ (take your pick: Evil Day Job or Every Day Job), and I couldn’t bring myself to look for another one, because I told myself I had no skills of measurable worth. I kept this job, because it’s got great benefits and it pays well and there is a union that protects me. It’s not the best job in the world, but it allows me to do the things I love doing. Like writing, creating characters and sending them through hell, and giving them a HEA or at least a HFN.

3. Calm Down:

   If I can believe that Rome wasn’t built in a day, then I can believe that everything I write doesn’t have to be finished right now, right this instant. At this point and time, I’m pretty sure I don’t have people sitting waiting for my Motivation Monday post. I am not the only one who stumbles on Monday mornings, I know this to be a fact. One foot in front of the other, I can do this. I’m not running a marathon, I’m writing a blog post. Or I’m writing a scene for Nano or I’m writing something else.

4. Be Friends With Your Friends:

   On these Monday mornings, I should allow myself time in front of the computer, catching up with friends. Really talking to my editor about our lives, not just when are my edits coming. Find out how their weekends faired, talk about their kids or my husbear. Really read through the book of Face and not just post random cute kitty pictures, but find a quote that means something. Encourage each other, let them know that they are a value in your life and get ready for the day.

5. If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It:

   This morning I made my first cup of coffee, it’s generally just heavy cream and my coffee. This morning, I thought… I’ll add some sugar to start my day off sweet. This was a big mistake, the coffee tasted wrong, my day started wrong. It’s like everything is going along fine and then Facebook changes it’s look and the world is thrown into chaos. Take what works for you and do it. These five things are things that work for me, maybe they’ll work for you. But, honestly, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. You’ve got what works for you, I’ve got what works for me. I’ll suggest things, maybe I’ll pick up what works for you.

Maybe I’ll be more motivated if I just keep doing what I’ve done all along. Maybe I’ll be happy with what life has given me and maybe I’ll learn that just because we have sugar in the house, it does not mean it needs to be in my coffee. Have a great Monday friends.

The reason why I’m writing this post at 1:07 in the morning on the day it’s due, is because I waited till the last moment for my newest book. I had a rough idea of what I wanted to do and where I wanted it to go. I didn’t pay close attention to what needed to be done. I zigged when I should have zagged and I honestly thought I had all the time in the world, when in fact the days just creeped up on me and all of a sudden it was done.

My future motivations are several authors who are in my local RWA chapter. As well as a few I met at GRL2015 in San Diego. Tara Lain gave me suggestions on how to keep writing and to keep track of words. Hans Hirshi was there to motivate me to be like him, to write bigger and longer. Louisa Bacio is forever busy with short stories and novellas. Hunter Frost tells it to me straight when I need tough love or a kick in the pants.

There were so many authors at GRL who were my tribe, my people. We talked about things you would normally get in trouble discussing at your EDJ (Every Day Job). I aspire to be them, to be a supporting author at #GRL2016 in Kansas City. It’s a lot of work, and it’s work I am looking forward to working towards.

So, the plotting/prepping I’m doing is for Nanowrimo in November. I’ve got my story structure plotted out. I’m working on my character bible for the MCs. I’ve got my pinterest for the story and I’ve even got a playlist to listen to. Now to writing and finishing and then editing the book.

I can do this! I will do this!

Here is a link to my Nanowrimo, become my buddy and lets encourage each other!