First, I wanted to apologize for not posting here much lately but I’m 7 writing days and 40k+ into the last book in a trilogy and I just haven’t had the time.

That said, I caught a video from Brandon Sanderson recently about how to motivate yourself to write and really, I don’t do any of the things that he says. I don’t have to. Because where he says that you should trick yourself into doing things and hack your brain, I have no need for any of that.

I’m just in control of it. So this is how I get things done, specifically writing in this context, but you can apply this to absolutely anything in your life.

Keep in mind that there is no right way or wrong way to do things, so long as you end up accomplishing your goal in the end. I’m not saying Brandon is wrong or that I’m right because none of that matters. Yet I see a lot of people who make a lot of excuses and never end up going anywhere, which suggests to me that their means are not effective. Mine are. Take that as you will.

When I wake up in the morning, before I even get out of bed, I have a list in my head of things I will accomplish during the day. That’s not “will try to” accomplish, these are things I absolutely will do. They are all detailed goals. I will absolutely get up and write at least 5,000 words. That doesn’t mean I will stop the second I hit 5k, I just won’t stop before it. I could go on to 10k or more if that’s how things work out during the day. I will not allow myself to fail.

There are also going to be things I have to do other than writing, work goals, things I have to get done around the house, etc. Because I’ve been doing this for so long, my head just automatically organizes and prioritizes my to-do list. I don’t even have to try, it just happens automatically. I have so much time to get so much done and the one thing I am never going to permit myself to do is fail. It just doesn’t happen, except in the most extreme of circumstances. There are things in life that you can’t control. If I get stuck in a traffic jam for 4 hours, some of the things I was going to do, those aren’t going to get done, but barring that, for things beyond my control, I just don’t let myself fail. If that does happen and I’m trapped in the car, I will use the time productively. Who knows, maybe I’ll come up with new books to write.

This is a matter of self-control, something that I see a lot of people failing at. Writers will tell me that they can’t write because they’re lazy. That’s the word they use. Well whose fault is that? You’re the one letting yourself be lazy. It’s your fault. Nobody else is to blame because you can’t get off your ass and get the job done! You are allowing your excuses to get the better of you and that’s your fault. Stop doing that! You need to be able to hold yourself accountable. It’s your job, no one else’s. If you can’t, then you are going to fail and it’s going to be your fault. It’s why I sit down and hit my word goals every single day. Why? Because I insist on it! Nobody is ever going to know if I don’t hit my goals. Nobody is watching over my shoulder. My readers will never have a clue if on such-and-such a date, I only wrote 4k instead of 5k. They’ll have no clue if I take a couple of long weekends. Nobody will know and nobody will care except for me. I will care. It’s why I don’t fail because I care about hitting these goals. I care about exceeding them. I am in control over myself. It’s why I succeed.

So what does this have to do with tricking your brain? If you’re just honest about your goals and your abilities, you don’t have to. I firmly believe that anyone can do anything they set their minds to, absent external limitations. Someone 5-feet tall isn’t going to play professional basketball, no matter what their dreams might be, but that doesn’t stop them from going out in the back yard and getting good at tossing balls through a hoop. If you’re willing to give up, you deserve not to get anywhere.

Yet social media, the cesspool that it is, it’s filled with people who whine long and loud about not getting anything done. They want someone else to come along and force them to write. Sorry, that’s not how this works. If you want to write, put your ass in the chair and your fingers on the keyboard and do it. It’s your job, not anyone else’s. Laziness is a symptom, not a problem. Stop being lazy. Get your ass in gear. Knock this garbage off! You either want it or you don’t. Either way, stop whining about it. Do it or don’t. Stop expecting other people to come to your rescue. You don’t need an accountability partner, you don’t need a motivational coach, you need to stop being an idiot, sit down and get it done! The more you do it, the more you push yourself, the better you get! It really isn’t that hard!

So the next time, don’t go looking for someone else to do your job. It’s  your job. You’re either capable of doing it on your own or you’re just wasting your time. It’s no one’s responsibility but your own to get your ass in gear. Go do it. That’s all that matters.