Maintaining the Mojo

 by Maureen Bonatch

I have way too many story drafts that I’ve started, but not finished.

These characters remain suspended in time, waiting for their story to end, or the saggy middle to be crunched away, so the story can be released into the world. There’s not much better feeling for a writer than seeing their story out in the world.

So why hasn’t my mojo kept me in that story until it’s finished before I move onto something new?

New seems better. It seems more fun and exciting. It’s an adventure rather than…well…work. Because the fun was jumping into that story (Panster here) meeting those new characters, envisioning that new world—it’s so exciting. Rather than looking at the old story that needs extensive edits and rewrites. That’s not always as fun. I already know those characters, I know how that story ends. I know there’s a lot of work involved in that process.

Finish What You Started

The same thing seems to happen to many this time of year when it’s already half-way through January. Many New Year’s resolutions and goals are already long forgotten, or perhaps left in the dust before the confetti cleared. It’s fun to see the results, but sometimes it’s no fun to do all the work to reach that finish line, not when It’s much easier to start something new.

A week into that diet and you might think that new shiny diet would work better if you just try that  other diet instead, or a different exercise regime than the one you’d committed to. That clutter you’ve accumulated isn’t going anywhere, so you put it off. 

If you could just find that magic easy button, it would all come together perfectly.

Maintaining Motivation

For many years, I got up before the sun even thought about getting up and made time to write. It was an ingrained habit. Then, life happens, habits change, other demands take over your time. So how do we maintain the mojo that so many of us get at the start of a new year? To change bad habits, and master new ones for this year? 

Something motivates us to make that new goal, start that new adventure, but then what happens to that motivation? How can we keep that fire burning?

A few ways to include:

• Know your high energy times and take advantage of them
• Ride that mojo when you hit a wave- you might be flying high one day and unwilling to get off the couch the next day
• Remember past victories- have you done it before, if so, how did you succeed?
• Take baby steps and reward your efforts
• Revaluate to ensure your goals are realistic
• Remember your ‘why’ for the reason you made these goals in the first place

Your Goals are Your Own

Most importantly, know what works for you. What works for one person, may not work for someone else. You may be struggling with those goals and resolutions that seemed possible at the start of the year but now seem impossible. Don’t shove them aside to plod through the rest of the year and then wonder where the time went, and make the same resolutions for next year.

Why not work to ignite your motivation now and finish what you started?

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter

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