3 Simple Yet Effective Strategies to Motivate Yourself to Write

As a writer, once in a while, you’re probably struggling with motivation; otherwise, you wouldn’t have clicked on this article and started reading it.

Let’s face it — you may not always have the motivation to write or be in the right mood, even if you’re passionate about writing. And some days are just better than others.

But if you’re like me, whose goal is to write every day, you have to make sure you keep yourself motivated. There are so many factors that can affect your motivation.

So, what do you do when you lose your motivation?

The strategies I’m about to share with you will help increase your motivation and set you in the writing mood.

Here are three strategies I use every day to motivate myself to write.

Set up a reward system

Remember when you were in school and you completed a school assignment or a particular project? Probably at some point, you received a tangible award for your work.

Who doesn’t want to look forward to their reward? Everyone does. Just as a kid gets excited about getting their special treat like candy at the end of their work, you’ll be just as thrilled to complete your work.

According to research, positive reinforcement promotes and reinforces the desired behavior. And it works just as well with adults as it does with kids. It’s no wonder that workers who receive bonuses for their work tend to work faster and more efficiently. Overall, they demonstrate a higher productivity.

When it comes to writing, you can implement a similar strategy. You can set up a reward system for yourself every time you complete a writing streak. For example, when you finish your first draft or write a certain number of words a day.

As you start writing, remind yourself what you’ll be getting at the end of your work. It will push you to complete it within the desired time frame.

Your reward doesn’t have to be candy — unless you have a sweet tooth, of course. It could be as simple as earning the time to watch a movie on Netflix or giving yourself more time on social media.

I have several rewards that work for me. They’re simple yet effective in motivating me to write each day. For example, I can pamper myself with a facial or soak in a relaxing Epsom salt bath with candles. Or I can order something from Walmart after I’ve met my writing goals.

Make a list of topics to write about

If someone asked you to prepare a meal and you had to spend time looking for all the ingredients, how would you feel? Compare that to, if someone laid down all the ingredients for you on the table and asked you to cook a meal? Of course, you’ll be more motivated to cook the meal if all the ingredients were in front of you.

There’s a similar process in writing. If you just sit in front of your computer staring at a blank screen and nothing comes to mind, it means you didn’t prime your brain for writing.

The way around it is to activate your brain’s writing region. One way to do that is by creating a list of topics that you want to write about.

This strategy always comes to my rescue when I need a quick pick me up. It also helps ensure that I never run out of article ideas, and I write something every day.

Here’s how I do it — every time an idea strikes my mind, I quickly go to my Grammarly where I keep a log of article ideas and write a rough headline. By the end of each week, I will have written close to 10 headlines.

Then every time I open my Grammarly and see all these article ideas, my brain lights up like a bulb. Besides, I don’t have to limit myself to writing on just one idea — I can pick and choose a topic that strikes me the most at the moment. I jump on it and start writing.

Read articles of writers you admire

Sometimes when I’m stuck and can’t get in the right frame of mind to write, I start reading. Reading serves as fuel to my writing. Immediately, I feel inspired to write. I read anything that sparks my interest at a given moment. I feel even more inspired to write when the articles I read are top-quality.

So, if you feel stuck, scroll through some articles on Medium or Vocal and read a few — it’ll help you get in a writing mood. If you make reading your daily habit, not only will you glean new insights, but you’d also be more inspired and motivated to write.

The bottom line

Writing doesn’t always come naturally. It’s okay if you hit a bump on the road now and then. After all, forcing yourself to write is a losing a battle. Why not increase your motivation naturally? These simple and effective strategies will increase your motivation and get you in the right frame of mind. They’ve worked for me, and I hope they’ll work for you too.