One of the biggest problems I see writers struggle with is that we often feel like we’re going nowhere with our writing. We may feel like we’re not making any actual progress, or we’ve been working on a project for a really long time, and still, we’re not seeing measurable results. When we’re in this painful place with our writing, we often feel alone and like we lack support, and like we also lack the structure we need to keep going with our writing.
When writers work all alone, with no outside support or helpful direction, we tend to set goals for ourselves that don’t work. We either set goals that are too unrealistic, or too abstract. I’ve seen many writers decide to take a hiatus from their job so they can give themselves “one year to finish their book.” The problem is that one year sounds like a long time, but it’s really only 12 months, and most writers never concretely map out what they mean when they say “I’m going to finish my book.”
Unrealistic goals that are too abstract are usually rooted in procrastination and perfectionism. If we don’t nail down our exact intentions and work to build an actual strategy to move forward with our writing, finishing our stories remains something that we’re going to do “someday.” But then someday never comes, and we never finish.
Writers need three key ingredients to get off the hamster wheel of procrastination, perfectionism, and writing frustration. I talk more about this in the video below:
I’m teaching a new class this spring called Mastering Motivation for Intuitive Writers and we’re going to be tackling difficult writing issues like these together. This will be an intense 4-week program that provides support for intuitive writers in a safe space, so we can set goals, find our direction, and start working toward those goals.
If this is sounds like something you need to help you meet your writing goals, stay tuned for the next video in the series: How to Conquer a Lack of Writing Motivation. To be sure you don’t miss the next video, SIGN UP for my newsletter here, and SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel here. You can send me any questions you might have here.
My classes for intuitive writers are always a lot of fun, and this one is going to be a real challenge, too. I hope I see you there!
Lauren Sapala is the author of The INFJ Writer, The INFJ Revolution, and the creator of Energy and Intuition for INFJs, an online course for INFJs on intuition, relationships, creativity, and more. She is also currently offering a free copy of her book Firefly Magic: Heart Powered Marketing for Highly Sensitive Writers to anyone who signs up for her newsletter. SIGN UP HERE to get your free copy.
