TRUE INDIE: 3 Simple Ways to Motivate Yourself to Write in the New Year

Another new year is upon us, and with that, those well-meaning resolutions we make to ourselves. This will be the year I…finally finish that script/pilot/book! (Guilty.) Learn to play guitar! (Guilty.) Travel to Italy! (Guilty.) Get in better shape! (Super guilty.)

Unless we have support and accountability to keep us on track toward our goals, it’s all too easy to scroll TikTok instead of writing our scripts, give up guitar when our fingers get calloused, postpone that dream trip for a “better time” that never comes, or eat mac and cheese from the drive-thru at Panera instead of going to the gym. (I admit nothing.)

But what if we don’t have consistent support or accountability? As independent artists, there isn’t necessarily anyone breathing down our necks to get our writing done or our projects made. It’s all on us. So how can we become accountable to ourselves? How can we be productive as writers and filmmakers, yet still have time for everything that comes with a busy, full life?

1. Pay Yourself First

I actually wrote an article about the concept of 'paying yourself first' back in 2015. (Wow, is time flying!) The basic idea is that you write first thing in the morning before your time gets eaten away—much like a financial expert would recommend you first contribute to your savings with each paycheck before your money gets frittered away.

Life happens. There’s always going to be the work call, sick child, or broken-down car that’s going to interrupt the time we’ve set aside for our art. There’s also always going to be the house that needs to be cleaned, the laundry piled up in the corner, and the kids and pets that need to be fed. But the reality is that if we let each everyday emergency derail our writing routine, we’ll never finish our projects.

So—I’m proposing that you pay yourself first. Charge your laptop by your bed, and when you wake up in the morning, before anyone can get to you, hide out wherever you can and get 10-15 minutes of solid writing done. (For some of us, this may even be a bathroom with a locked door! I’m just kidding…sort of.)

Even if your AM writing is stream-of-consciousness, I-just-woke-up scribbles, it’s something to get your brain ticking in the right direction. And there’s nothing like starting off each morning feeling light and accomplished, knowing that you did your art, rather than sitting with that anxious, guilty sensation that you should have gotten your writing done.

2. Eliminate (or Limit) Your Biggest Distractions

What distracts you the most while you’re working? Is it that pesky iPhone, always calling to you to waste your time texting or scrolling your social accounts? Is it that never-ending pile of dishes that’s begging to be washed? Is it a neighbor’s ever-present leaf blower that’s still going even though it’s winter and there clearly haven’t been any leaves left for weeks now? (Grrrr….)

No home is cleaner than a writer’s on a deadline. We will do anything, from clearing out our closets to deep cleaning the oven, to avoid the angst of staring at a computer screen, either unable to write, or hating everything we do manage to squeak out. So, knowing this, if we can make our environment as distraction-free as possible, it can help us reach our writing goals and make the entire experience more pleasant.

My biggest distraction is the TV. If I’m writing at home, the remote control calls out to me like a beacon.

“Watch all the seasons of Friends back-to-back for the tenth time!”

“The Taylor Swift Reputation Tour film is leaving Netflix on December 30! You must watch it before it’s gone!” (Guilty.)

“Is the next season of Only Murders in the Building out yet?”

I constantly feel a pull between what I should be doing, what I know fulfills me in the long run—getting my projects finished—and the short-term gratification that comes with watching a familiar show with an overflowing bowl of Pop Secret Homestyle popcorn. (Seriously—try it if you haven’t—it’s the best.)

Instead of trying to get pages cranked out in a distraction-filled living room, at a cluttered desk, or in a loud coffee shop, see if changing up your environment helps you become more productive. 

I’m going to be trying something different in the new year. My local library rents study rooms in two-hour increments, and these rooms couldn’t be any sparser if they tried. Table, four chairs, lamp—that’s it. No TV, no leaf blower, and no more easily accessible fridge. (This will help with my “getting in better shape” goal, too.) And since you’re not exactly allowed to gab away on your phone at the library, it will also limit the temptation to call (literally) anyone in an effort to distract myself from the task at hand.

3. Create a Personal Reward System

Let’s face it, everyone responds to rewards in some way. We work out all week, thinking about that piece of birthday cake we get to enjoy without guilt after six straight days of crunches. (Or just six crunches, if you’re me. Nothing’s standing between me and cake.)

So what might motivate you? What carrot could you chase, no matter how superficial, that would light a fire under you to write?

Maybe it’s a guilt-free day of pajamas and Netflix once you finish that endlessly challenging act two. Maybe it’s tickets to a sporting event or concert once you finally type “The End.” Or maybe it’s a weekend away at the beach, a kid-free overnight at a hotel, or even simply a meal at your favorite restaurant. Whatever floats your boat, make it personal, and don’t judge it.

Personally, I’m a spa junkie. Nothing motivates me like knowing I get to chillax in a spa (preferably with a glass of champagne) once I’ve finally finished a project. I’ve actually been holding onto a massage gift card I got for my birthday last year, so that I can have a celebratory spa day once I finish the novel I’ve been working on for two…ahem…four…ahem…six years. (But who’s counting?!)

Sending you my best wishes for rewarding, distraction-free writing in the new year! May this be the year your writing dreams come true!