Goals. Motivation. Discipline.

For the longest time I’ve seen this words but didn’t really understand what they meant and what I would accomplish if I incorporated them into my daily routine.

Goals. Motivation. Discipline.

Sure, I get goals but do I really understand why I set them and what I wish to accomplish with them BESIDE a word count.

I’m motivated. But am I motivated in the RIGHT way and for the RIGHT reasons.

Discipline. I will not even bother to lie. I have none. I’ve NEVER had any discipline. As with a lot of things this probably has to do with growing up. Like a lot of people there was piano, ballet, tap, jazz, and karate lessons. I took ballet, tap & jazz just like ,y sisters and female cousins did and I stuck with it until my early teens and I stuck with it for one reason and one reason only. My mother would not bend on the subject. Her daughters would take ballet (especially) the same as she and her sisters did.
But piano and karate? I was able to talk my way out of both of those. And now I wish I hadn’t. Especially karate because for the same reason I quit (harsh word but an honest one) is the same reason I should have stuck with it. Discipline.
Sabi Nim demanded discipline. He yelled and I was so not used to being yelled at or anyone demanding anything from me. My cousin stuck with it and is like a 3rd or 4th degree black belt and ex-marine. See. Discipline.
But nope, I ran to mommy and told her Sabi Nim yelled at me and that was the end of that.
So here I am some twenty odd years later and don’t know the first thing about discipline.

dis·ci·pline /ˈdɪsəplɪn/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[dis-uh-plin] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation noun, verb, -plined, -plin·ing.
–noun 1. training to act in accordance with rules; drill: military discipline.
2. activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training: A daily stint at the typewriter is excellent discipline for a writer.

Ironic much? So I will have to teach myself discipline. I started last night. I was exhausted. Literally falling asleep at the keyboard but I had set a goal (to make it to 8k) and for some reason I HAD to met it. Is that discipline? I don’t know but I do know I kept going until I met that goal. Those last 200 and something words were excruciating but I accomplish what I set out to do and that made them all the sweeter.

Goals. Motivation. Discipline.

Why am I learning these principles now? Because I’ve realized without them I WILL NOT and CAN NOT make it as a writer.

You HAVE to set goals as a writer because you have projects that are due at a certain time.

You HAVE to be motivated to get the projects completed.

And you HAVE to have discipline to motivate yourself to get to your goal.

So I will hold myself accountable. Sure it will be hard but a lot of things are. But none of those other things give me the satisfaction a completed manuscript does.

So what do you do to keep your goals and motivation and discipline yourself?