: Re: How to motivate yourself to finish something? Far too many stories of mine have gone unfinished simply because I lost motivation to keep writing (and it doesn't help that I manage to convince
There are only two motivations:
pain
pleasure
The only difference between the two motivations is what your mind makes of circumstances. In other words, one person thinks writing is pain another thinks it is pleasure.
Dopamine Release : Science Behind Motivation
Modern neuroscientists have discovered that basically anything you associate with pleasure releases dopamine into your brain. When dopamine is released into your brain you like the thing you are doing more. It is a self-perpetuating system and why people become addicted to odd behaviors which make them "feel happy".
Program Yourself
Over time, the world has programmed you to believe certain things are pain and certain other things are pleasure.
Consider this, why do some people find escargo a delicacy and others believe them to be disgusting. It is this same type of thing.
If you are placed in a situation where writing is a chore and considered pain (think secondary school and college where it is a requirement simply to pass a class) then you may have programmed yourself into the belief that writing is pain.
Heavily Used Circuits Fire Faster, Fire More
If you've gone in numerous loops -- as many writers have -- where you write a little, think it is a pain, get rejected, then stop and start often you've basically programmed yourself to think writing is pain.
A Possible Solution
Set specific times to write, which will only last 5 minutes.
When the time comes, do nothing but write.
When you write for those 5 minutes, write about whatever you want, as if no one will ever see it. Free yourself entirely.
Do not judge your writing at all. Write for the pure exhiliration of writing; examining interesting words and thoughts, enjoying sentence construction that may not even be grammatical, studying the beauty of language itself.
Evaluation of the System
Finally, evaluate how you feel after these 5 minute writing sprees.
Ask yourself the following questions.
Did you write at the scheduled time?
If you continually miss the scheduled times or simply never write for those 5 minutes, then it is advisable to stop writing. Why? Because you really don't want to write. Go do something that you are actually intereted in.
Did you enjoy writing
It's okay if you still did not enjoy writing. Maybe it's not your thing. This way, at least you are honest with yourself.
Conclusion
This simple program of writing for 5 minutes may very well help you create a positive dopamine release in your brain which will transform you into a prolific writer. Try it and see what happens.
If you never try the program for even 5 sessions of 5 minutes? Answer: You are not a writer. That's ok. Move on.
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