What Motivates Me to Write First Thing in the Mornings?

Getting the creative juices flowing and into some goodness.

Motivation. For some, it’s an extremely difficult thing to muster up, especially if your day is full of various tasks and projects. A lot of folks get overwhelmed by lists of things that need doing. And some of them wind up “checking out” for the day, which creates an even bigger list of things to do.

I am someone who has an awful lot on his plate, despite reining back on the side blogs I own. Between my books and WriterSanctuary, there is still a lot going on all week long. And that’s not including the work I do for clients to pay the mortgage.

When it comes to writing, I have an overabundance of motivation. However, there are mornings when it seems burdensome to rev the engine. So, what do I do to light a fire under my butt and get it into gear?

Getting the Heart Rate Up

On days when I increase my heart rate first thing in the morning, I am usually far more motivated to put in effort to finish my tasks. Not to mention the fact that I’m also in a much better mood overall. That’s because exercise improves your mental health, and that includes boosting motivation to face the day.

Now, this doesn’t mean that I put in 45 minutes for some heavy cardio. Even taking a 15 to 20-minute walk around my garden out back is enough to alter how I view my day. Take this morning, for example. After watering all of the fruits and vegetables I have growing, I finished with a 10-minute walk around the backyard. The result was feeling ready to tackle the day and excited for the things I’m about to create.

Of course, I’m also fueled by lots and lots of caffeine. Nonetheless, walking, playing the Oculus, or perhaps a quick burst of house cleaning first thing in the day boosts my motivation to sit down and hammer out some content. As an added bonus, I’m often in an elevated mood after my walks, which is great for everyone else in the house.

Still…don’t talk to me before I’ve had my coffee.

An Energizing Playlist

Music impacts us far more than some might think. Not only does it fuel motivation for many people, but various types of music can directly affect anxiety and stress. Plus, studies have also shown how music improves cognitive performance as well as memory retrieval.

While going on my walks or watering the garden, I have a playlist of certain types of songs. All of them are fast-paced and energizing for me. For example, AC/DC’s Big Gun is playing as I write this paragraph. Then again, anything by AC/DC tends to motivate me to write and be productive. In fact, I listen to it a lot when thinking of fight scenes for my books or envisioning a live-action book trailer (which will be happening in the next few months).

The bottom line is that music is wonderful for all kinds of needs. It’s one of the reasons why a lot of employers allow listening to music while working. A good playlist can do some amazing things, and customizing your own could have a lasting impact on your productivity.

Visualizing My Future Possibilities

I visualize a lot throughout my day. I think cinematically when I write books, I visualize what my blog and YouTube channel will be like in a year, and I envision the successes of upcoming releases and book signings. It’s not exactly the same as daydreaming, though.

When it comes to daydreaming, most think of things that would be nice, such as winning a $350 million Powerball or dating a popular celebrity. I visualize my success based on the things I am working on and where I want to be in life. Then, I consider what I need to do to get to where I want to go.

For instance, wouldn’t it be nice to be a best-selling author? Sure. But what am I going to do to get there? A successful book isn’t going to write itself, and as a self-published author, it also means finding motivation to learn marketing.

Wouldn’t it be cool to have a podcast that is more popular the Joe Rogan’s? Absolutely. But the episodes aren’t going to create themselves.

The point here is that visualizing potential successes is different than lofty daydreams about things that are highly unlikely to happen. However, visualizing is only half of the task. To make those things come to life, you also need to put in a reasonable amount of effort. Yet, visualizing awesome possibilities gets me in the mood to take action.

Reading Past Comments

On days when I feel especially low or need a bit of a boost in addition to the above, I read comments from the blog and YouTube channel. I’ve helped a lot of people over the years, and seeing how I’ve impacted folks fuels my drive to continue doing what I do.

There’s nothing like seeing, “This is exactly what I was looking for, thank you” on a piece of content. It’s a bit of an ego boost, but also helps me keep things in perspective. Yes, I would love to retire from freelancing and just write books and blog posts all day. However, I am more driven to help others in need, regardless of whether there is pay involved or not. I mean, I maintained the YouTube channel for six years before it earned enough watch time to get monetized. And even then, it makes about $60 per month. It’s not the money that drives me to keep doing what I do.

What about my books? I’ve saved a few comments from other authors, editors, and fans. They also play a role in driving motivation, especially on days when the impostor syndrome seems to sneak into my thoughts. It’s not as often as it used to be, but sometimes, I do have my doubts. It usually happens on days when I have less than five and a half hours of sleep, though.

I Am a Writer

Lastly, I am, and always have been, a writer. Since I was nine years old, I’ve always had a penchant to crank something out on a typewriter or keyboard. In fact, a large portion of the jobs and careers I’ve held over the years have involved writing in some form. It’s what I was meant to do, and it’s kind of sad that it took me 30 years to get the ball rolling on what turned out to be my greatest career path.

I’ve been called a machine on more than one occasion by peers and employees alike. A lot of them can’t fathom producing as much content as I can on any given day. And I rarely have trouble with writer’s block. It was one of the reasons why I was so successful using content mills. No, I’m not superhuman or some phenom. What I am is practiced in my trade, and I have long decided to go all in regardless of the outcome.

I’m exceptionally tenacious and will keep trying to overcome obstacles that get thrown in my way. Being a writer is often the most effective form of motivation that inspires me to write every day. It’s who I am; it’s in my blood and is constantly running through my mind. And even if I never sell another book, I’ll keep writing them. I have stories to tell, whether it’s in a blog post or the next book in The Witcham Series.

I just hope my clients keep me around long enough that my writing makes more than what freelancing brings in. Although I’m not saving up for a $3 million house, I wouldn’t mind having one.

What Motivates You?

This is how I start my mornings nearly every day. It’s a routine that helps fuel creativity while keeping my feet firmly planted in reality. Some days, it takes a bit more effort to drive motivation. But for the most part, walks and music usually get me in the mood to do some great things.

The trick is to maintain that motivation throughout the entire day. And that, my friends, is a story for another time.