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Do the thing. I believe in you.

Motivation. What a thorn in our collective sides, right? You pick something to do and for whatever reason… you don’t do. You do the opposite of do, you don’t and then you get absolutely nowhere and you just blankly stare at the thing and nothing changed because you still haven’t gotten up, you still haven’t started, and eventually it all snowballs. 

So you ignore it. You give up. You think about it from time to time, shaking your head in disgust at yourself because you couldn’t do something as simple as start the thing you wanted to do in the first place – if you would have started it when you originally wanted to, you’d have been done with it by now! The snowball keeps rolling. The frustration and anxiety gets worse. How can you even think about starting it now, because all of a sudden it’s not so simple. You’ve made a metaphorical mountain out of a metaphorical molehill (unless you really are dealing with a molehill, in which case I am sorry for your yard). 

Breathe, friend. 

I have been down this terrible path before, and I’m sure I’ll go down it again. In fact, I’m facing similar thoughts when it came to making this blog. I really wanted to create a blog where I could share my knowledge, and learn more from those around me and generally have a safe space for everyone on their life journey of becoming a better person. It took forever for me to just stop thinking and start doing. I’m still trying to just keep doing. Let me try to help you do the same: Do. 

So you want to do a thing. 

Well that’s the first step. Saying “Hey, I want to organize my room” or “I think it’s time for me to clean the kitchen” is a great way to start. Recognize what it is you want to accomplish in your end game. 

However, don’t get overzealous. “I want to organize my room” can become a daunting task if you try to do it all at once. A good tip is to make it a project – trying to finish it all in one go is a good way to get burnt out before you even start! Instead make a list and check it off as you go. 

Example:

Make the bed

Clear off bookshelves

File away desk papers

Dust the corners

Fold the laundry

Vacuum the floor

A list like this seems a lot more manageable mentally than just saying “Organize the room” and as you check things off you’ll feel accomplished, which helps your motivation to continue on your project. 

Be proud of any bit you get done. Managed to clean off one of your shelves? Good job, you! You’re that much closer to finishing that task! Which means you’re practically almost done with your project! It can be really motivating to feel like you’re getting closer to your end goal. 

Sometimes we all need a little push in the right direction and maybe even a little company. Invite a friend over and tell them what your goal is. They can help by giving you a hand and maybe assist by directing you where to go. Surrounding ourselves with people who have a good directional skill can help lead the effort. 

Putting on entertainment as background noise can also help. I personally like to listen to one of the Crash Course series (Right now I’m on Anatomy and Physiology) or to Mental Floss videos while I work because it gives my brain something other than the ever increasing list of to-dos I face to think about. It’s hard to stress about stuff I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get done when I’m too busy listening to videos and then… what do you know, I’ve completed half my to do list without freaking out about how much I had to do!

It can can be hard to just motivate yourself to get out of bed, let alone take on any other sort of project aside from the act of being alive. Just know that you deserve a gold star for waking up, double gold stars for getting out of bed and triple gold stars for even glancing out the window. Some days are better than others, but no matter what it is you want to accomplish… you can do it. I know you can. 

For other great resources to help with your motivation, check out the following links:

How to Adult – Procrastination/Getting Things Done

Lifehack - Ways to deal with Motivation Loss

WVU Student Wellness - How to Motivate/Do Practically Anything

Except I'd never look as graceful he is majestic as fuck

*magnetos away from my responsibilities* like

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How did I not notice this?

I KIND OF JUST REALIZED THAT JESSIE FROM TEAM ROCKET FORMS A FUCKING R WITH HER HAIR AND BODY

WHY DID IT TAKE ME OVER 10 YEARS TO REALIZE THIS

Groenendael

The Groenendael is a variety of dog that is included in the Belgian Shepherd breed, but sometimes treated as a distinct breed. The Groenendael is recognized, either as a breed or a variety of the Belgian Shepherd, by all major kennel clubs. In the American Kennel Club, it is called the Belgian Sheepdog, a term otherwise synonymous with Belgian Shepherd Dog more broadly. Like all Belgian Shepherds, the Groenendael is a medium-sized, hard-working, square-proportioned dog. The Groenendael is recognized by its distinctive black coat.

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It's nice to know even the unbelievably attractive people have these moments

This made my day. 

Writing Character Arcs

Post suggested by @amethystvalkyrie.

Let’s get this out straight away: You cannot disregard character arcs. The way you can think of character arcs is that readers usually come for the plot but stay for the character because you can have a kick ass plot but if the characters don’t have depth and don’t grow or change throughout, then the readers can’t connect to the story. Readers need to care about the character to care about what they are going through and the best way to do this is through their arc. Now, though attention to character is always important, certain genres demand more than others just like certain genres demand more plot than others. For example, literary, contemporary YA, and romance put more emphasis of character than more plot-driven genres like thriller, adventure, fantasy and sci fi. In any case, character arc enhances the story but it can be tricky to understand how create this arc and how to use it to better the story, so here are some tips:

Really, think of it as a curve. Okay, so maybe not a nice smooth curve, more like one with a bunch of bumps and squiggles in it. Also, the direction of this curve depends on who you want your character to become. Usually, a protagonist will arc up, starting at point where they have some personal obstacles to overcome, whether this is just a few things or a major attitude adjustment. You can also have characters that arc down and progressively get worse, like a villain or a tragic hero. The point is that as the time goes on, your characters should move on the Y axis (sorry for the math). You can actually plot it out if it helps you understand the rises and falls of your character’s arc.

Find what each character really needs to change. What is holding them back from achieving their goal? Why is it so important that they change? What would happen or who would they be if they don’t change? Alternatively, what can go wrong if they change or change for the worse? Remember that not every character arc is a positive one and sometimes readers need to see the characters fall to understand what is at stake and cheer for them more when they get back up.

Don’t make it sudden or pointless. Like anything else in your story you want to make the character’s advancement (or deterioration) have a cause and effect relationship. Something that happens in the story causes the character to have to change or at least consider how their actions are impacting others and their own life. A drunk who gets into a car accident and nearly kills their kid. A hero whose selfishness nearly causes the destruction of a village. Typically, the biggest shifts happen near the climax where the stakes are highest and the character has to make the biggest decisions.

Don’t make the character passive. Passive characters, in particular passive protagonists are unbearable. These are the ones that have the plot happen to them rather than contributing to the direction and outcome of the events. A character needs to take charge of their own destiny even if it’s a story where destiny is literally coming after them. Like I said before, some genres have more room for this than others. A high-stakes thriller that’s more plot driven has moments where the characters have to struggle to keep up with the events happening to them, but they should still be making the major decisions that ultimately lead to the conclusion. When the characters aren’t being decisive they can’t grow or change and their personal story stays flat and boring.

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