Do the Work
As an athlete and a writer, I’m constantly looking for ways to improve my motivation level. It’s hard getting through a workout when you’re mentally and physically exhausted, just like it’s hard getting 1000 words down on paper when they just don’t want to come out. There are tricks to improving our creativity and our motivation, but what they ultimately boil down to is simply showing up and doing the work.
I’m fortunate to be living in an environment that necessitates a strong daily commitment to training. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be working as hard as I should be to accomplish my goals. I might slack off, put up lighter weight, eat once a day and call it good. Those tiny failures add up quickly. You can’t do that when you’ve made a public commitment and you have people counting on you to succeed. Despite having some tough days I never once left the weight room thinking to myself that I regretted showing up. Accidents aside, I can’t imagine anyone ever said to themselves “I really wish I didn’t work out today”.
Accidents aside, I can’t imagine anyone ever said to themselves “I really wish I didn’t work out today”.
The same holds true for writing. To write a blog post, a novel, a screenplay, or anything where a substantial amount of words need to be put on paper, the writer has to simply do the work. That means showing up every day and writing. Some people have a goal, such as 1000 words per day. Others write until they find a natural stopping point. I think the trick is to establish a set of personal rules. For Hemingway, that meant writing at least 500 words per day and never finishing the last sentence. That way, he could immediately pick up where he left off the following day instead of staring at his 13″ MacBook Air and checking his Twitter account. My personal rules dictate that I write at least 1000 words per day, 3 days a week, while simultaneously reading fiction books in my target market and nonfiction books about the publishing process.
For Hemingway, that meant writing at least 500 words per day and never finishing the last sentence. That way, he could immediately pick up where he left off the following day instead of staring at his 13″ MacBook Air and checking his Twitter account.
Personal rules apply to training as well. Show up every day and do the work. Don’t complain. Keep the big picture in mind. Like Hemingway’s rule, a training day never really ends. There is recovery and nutrition to consider, and tomorrow we start where we left off yesterday. I need to lift 4 days a week, sprint 3, and ice bath every day. Much like writing and publishing a novel, success means showing up and doing the work.
Do you set personal rules for yourself? What are they?