We are living in a time when it can be challenging to maintain any kind of self-motivation. Isolation, political unrest, and mental health have all played a significant role in 2020, and under those circumstances, I've had more luck over the last few weeks maintaining my motivation than I did early on the pandemic, and I wanted to share some of the pointers that I've discovered.
Set clear writing goals. The two types of goals that I have are either time-based or word based. For example, I will tell myself that I will spend 30 minutes a day working on a specific writing project, and then, for a different project, I will tell myself that I want to write 2000 words a day on that project. Start with small goals (maybe fifteen minutes or 500 words a day), and build up from there.
Plan a reward system for those goals. I am currently on the Animal Crossing train, so if I complete my writing goals, then I get to go goof around on my Animal Crossing island in the evening. If I don't achieve my goals, then I spend my evening hours working on my writing.
Find some external sources of accountability. This is one of the big reasons that I recommend a writing group. In April, I set out with a couple of friends with the goal to write a poem a day. While I didn't actually manage to write a poem every single day, having daily email check-ins with my friends helped me feel motivated to continue writing.
Take breaks when you need. Mental health is real. Sometimes we just need a minute where we take a break. If you are a writer, it's likely that you're pursuing writing for the love of the art, so don't get so focused on production that you lose the passion for writing. I stand by the fact that a writer does write. It's the root of the word. But if you need a day off, take the day off. It'll be okay, and your work might even benefit from you giving yourself a chance to recover and get a fresh mind about your writing projects.
Talk about your writing with the people that you love. Don't be the guy who always makes the conversation about yourself, but be the writer who is excited about their art, and excited to talk about the problems in your projects as well as the great parts. Talking about your writing projects often leads to feeling more optimistic and more excited about actually seeing where these stories go.