Motivation

Motivation is a powerful energy. It's a force that keeps us moving toward our goal. But what happens when major obstacles get in our way? If we're determined, we may be able to push through, however quite often we abandon our dreams. The following are 3 ways to keep motivated when things do not go as planned.

The first is to be prepared. Things often do not go smoothly. Think ahead about what you will do when something stands in your way. Finding a publisher when you're a new author is very difficult and filled with rejection. I thought to myself for every rejection I receive, I will find 2 new publishers or agents to send my work to. This helped me stay focused and motivated to constantly learn about the industry. It also gave me a concrete behavior to keep my goal alive.

The next trick to staying motivated is to take a step-by-step approach. If your goal is to write a fantasy novel and the first 20 pages took you several weeks to write, it could be easy to get overwhelmed knowing you have 200 more to go. Instead, focus on making the next 10 pages the best they can be.

The last tip is one that's often overlooked. To stay motivated, one must manage the negative feelings associated with setbacks. An easy way to lose incentive is by not coping with the negative impact of feeling pressured or defeated. To combat these emotions, consider what about the situation is still in your control. For example, I cannot make my dream agent want to represent me, but I can search for other qualified representatives that I would be proud to work with. Remember you have choices. There are many paths to success. Focus on what you can do. This will generate the needed energy to stay motivated.

Staying motivated to reach your dreams is not always easy. The strategies above can help you stay focused and create enough positive energy to help you succeed.