Holding Yourself Accountable & Staying Motivated

I’ve talked about productivity in great detail before. I've discussed how BICHOK is a sure-fire way to get your writing where it needs to be, how endurance can be increased, and how fear can often hold back your writing. But what about those times when it's just plain ol' laziness that's keeping you from the productivity you want? What about those days where you spend four hours at the computer and write all of 4 words because OMG! Look at all the pretties and shinies on the internet? And ungh, I'm hungry...and hey, when did that squirrel move into the tree outside my window?

Yeah, it’s kinda like that. On those distraction-heavy days, my friend, it’s time to seek help elsewhere. It’s time to find SOMEONE ELSE to hold you accountable. I mean, think about it: when you were in high school, you got your work done (or I hope you did...). Maybe it was at the last minute or maybe it wasn’t always your best work, but you finished. Why? Because someone else expected you to. I've talked at great length about this with my author and solo-entrepreneur friends. We have no bosses! We have NO ONE to look over our shoulders and make sure we're getting the work done. Another thing we don't have are people to validate us when we do make progress. So what if you had a great day writing—there's no one there to be impressed or to pat you on the back or to say, "Great job! You deserve a raise." We simply slog on, all alone. But what if we put a dose of SOMEONE ELSE in our writing lives? What if we find (or start) a Twitter hashtag so we can make accountability partners? Or cheerleader/validation partners? Or what if we interact in forums or via email chains or Facebook groups? Writing is solitary, but it certainly doesn't have to be. I think camaraderie is one of the reasons that NaNoWriMo is SO successful for people! They're all writing together, interacting, sharing, and keeping each other motivated. So if you’re finding you need a bit more motivation in your life, I challenge you to find another writer who’ll hold you accountable and send you lots of smiley faces when you need ‘em. Heck, come join me in my forums—I'm definitely in need of some writing buddies!! Or add me as a friend for NaNoWriMo! You tell me: Is this something you would ever do? Or do you already have someone like this in your writing life? [box]If you like what you read here, consider signing up for my newsletter, the Misfits & Daydreamers or swinging by my For Writers page![/box]