This week at the Round Table, Alida, Kathryn, & Robert mastermind each other’s progress during our mid-year check-in. We go way beyond basic talk of motivation, dropping the carrot and the stick in the middle of the road. We get meta! We all came away with exciting new insights, unique to each of us, that will help us reframe our process and our progress. These takeaways could help you go deeper into your writing life whys and wherefores!
VIDEO
AUDIO
SHOW NOTES
We jump into reviewing our progress on this year’s goals, and spiral into a conversation about our processes, mindset, and how to measure progress. Are we motivated by pain, reward, or something else? How can you re-frame your goals in order to recognize what you have accomplished, rather than beat yourself up for what you didn’t? Ultimately, it all comes down to living the life you want to live, one day at a time!
What we talked about:
Alida reviews her goals for the year. (4:50)
What happens to motivation when Alida gets really behind? (9:25)
Should you do seasonal plans? (11:30)
How do you process your entire life’s priorities, with your writing in view? (12:25)
What are you motivated by? (13:20)
Habit stacking, and being motivated by “inputs”. (17:45)
Re-evaluate what it means to accomplish your goals. (21:30)
Are you living the days you want to live? (23:15)
LINKS
Things we mentioned:
2k to 10k by Rachel Aaron
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Want more about these topics? Check out:
Have thoughts, questions, other examples? Join the conversation at the Story Works Writers Facebook group.
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About Your Hosts
Alida Winternheimer is the author of The Skoghall Mystery Series, A Stone’s Throw, and The Story Works Guide to Writing FictionSeries. She further pursues her fervor for all things story as a writing coach and developmental editor. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her Golden Retriever, Seva the Wonder Dog. She camps, bikes, and kayaks in her free time. Unless it’s winter, in which case she drinks chai by the fire. You can find more at www.wordessential.com/about.
Kathryn Arnold writes fantasy and anything else that sparks her creativity from her home in Kingston, Washington. She currently earns her living as an insurance underwriting assistant, where she also creates marketing and web copy. When not writing, she plays (and teaches) piano and keyboard in a band (or two), and is working on starting a ministry team with her husband. You can find Kathryn at www.skyfirewords.com.
Robert Scanlon was born in Australia, but whisked off to England when only a baby. After many years complaining about the weather, he did the sensible thing and moved back to Australia. Despite a career in the music industry, followed by decades teaching public speaking, Robert is an introvert who adores reading. Robert grew up on a diet of sci-fi masters, eventually discovering he had read the library’s entire science fiction section. Now he has to write his own. Robert is the author of Constellation, book one of the Blood Empire space opera series. Find out more at www.RobertScanlon.com