STAY MOTIVATED - MIMI’S STORY

Image Courtesy of Stuart Miles/ freedigitalphotos

Still talking about staying motivated, you need more than Willpower, you need a strong motivation.

What is motivating you to do what you do?

If you want to write a book; why?

If you want to go to school; why?

If you want to get married; why?

You should not decide to do something because others are doing it, you need a stronger motive than that or you will quit before you finish.

 Mimi is a dietician. About seven years ago, she told me of her desire to write a book on Healthy Eating. I asked her why and she said she wanted to be a successful author.

 Do you think her motive was vague and weak?
She started with so much zeal, and wrote the drafts for five chapters in a week. Then she met Paul and this hot romance started. She soon put the desire to be a successful author on the back burner. For two years, her job at a high profile hospital and her love life with Paul were enough to make her forget her goal.

What happened to her aspiration to become a successful author? 
The affair broke up and she was devastated especially by the fact that Paul left her for a well-known former beauty queen. That dealt a fatal blow on her self-esteem. When she recovered, the desire to be that successful author came back with full force.

Why did the desire return with a vengeance?

How long can the steam last? 
At an amazing speed, she finished the first draft of the book and sent it to me for editing. Her goal was to get the book published in a month. I was so busy then I didn’t have time to see her manuscripts and she harassed me so well I had no choice but to leave every other thing to look at her job. I made some corrections and observations, sent it to her, expecting to get it back in a few days. But it didn’t come. Two weeks later, I called her and was surprised at her response.

She and Paul had reconciled and she had been too busy to see the manuscripts.

Why and how did her desire evaporate so fast? 
Four years and two kids later, a sack letter and divorce papers from Paul, Mimi became a shadow of her former self.

Faced with raising her two kids alone, no paid employment and not only a broken heart but a shattered self-image, Mimi had a strong need to pursue her abandoned dream of writing a book.

She had converted the ground floor of her duplex to a Clinic and started a private practice as a Nutrition Specialist.

As her clientele increased, she found it necessary to finish her book to help her patients and others gain necessary knowledge on healthy living. 

How would you compare this motive with to the first one? 
So, she updated the book and within a few months published it. It was an instant success. She started a blog on Healthy Living that soon began to thrive. This increased her clientele. She wrote two other books within a year and became a co-host for a television health show.

What motivated Mimi to eventually realize her desire to be a successful author? 

What motivates you to do something is what keeps your Willpower on. The stronger your motive and desire, the stronger your Willpower.

The first assignment we have this year in my Writing Group is to purify our motives by making it clear, personal, purpose-driven and value-adding.

I will talk more about this next.

In the meantime, why don't you work on purifying your motives for some of your goals.

Enjoy God’s Exceeding Grace

STAY MOTIVATED

When we set goals, we are excited. We start to pursue with zeal and make good progress for a few weeks. Then gradually, other things come up to distract us. After several failed attempts to continue, we get discouraged, abandon the project and don’t even bother setting goals anymore.

But goal setting is important in the school of success. It is God’s principle. Before He does anything, He says it. Check the bible; from the beginning, His goals were set, before He started to create the Heavens and the earth. All through the bible, God would always lay His plans out before He executes them.

We cannot achieve the kind of success we desire if we don’t make our purpose and goals clear before pursuing them.

The Truth About Willpower

Willpower is determination + self-discipline.

These two factors powers you to do something despite the difficulties involved.

Every day, we set goals and try to achieve them using Willpower. This is great, but Willpower, though very important in the school of success, is not just enough.

I read about the more than two hundred studies into human psychology and neuroscience, which revealed the limitations of willpower.

Cookies & Radishes

Here is one out of the many experiments carried out at the University of Albany. 

They presented two bowls to a group of students. One contained warm, freshly baked cookies and the other, cold radishes. The first group is to eat the cookies and ignore the radishes. This did not require any willpower because it was very easy to do.

The second group was instructed to eat the radishes and ignore the warm cookies. Now you and I know this will require a lot of willpower.

Afterwards, they gave a difficult puzzle to the students to complete. The result was that the students, who had already used up their willpower trying to resist the cookies, gave up on the puzzle much more quickly.

The researchers concluded that the students resisting the cookies had already used up their willpower and didn't have any left to work on the puzzle.

Limited Human Effort

Willpower is a very limited resource and it quickly runs out.

I’m not surprised at this conclusion because anything generated by human effort is limited.

This is why many of us (studies say over 88% of people) give up on our goals. When you have used up your Willpower in one area, you are likely to give up on the rest of your goals. For example, if you have a hard day at work or a tiff with a loved one, you may likely break your fast, your diet or abandon your plan to write that one chapter.

So if willpower is not enough, what is?

We discussed this recently in my writing group. Here are some proven ways we arrived at that will help us stay motivated this year and achieve all our writing goals.

The God Factor

We all agreed that these scriptures would be our greatest motivation.

“… A man can receive nothing (he can claim nothing, he can take unto himself nothing) except as it has been granted to him from heaven. John 3:27 AMP

“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me (I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency) Philippians 4:13 AMP

“…apart from Me (cut off from vital union with Me) you can do nothing. John 15:5 AMP

Paul said in Acts 26:22, “Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day…”

No matter how strong your will, we all need the help of God. Every other thing will work, when we are in God’s Will and Plan. We must daily commit ourselves and our goals into His hands. Only then can we receive the grace that we need to achieve them.

Next article, I will share with you the other ways my Writing Group will stay motivated this year.

Enjoy God’s Exceeding Grace

ONE SENTENCE AT A TIME

It was like a blink of the eye and I’m not exaggerating. Before I knew it, 2013 had bowed out.

And most of my writing goals were still on the first page of my journal, neatly written and unachieved.

@ I will post an article everyday on my blog

@ I will write an article a day for the two Christian blogs I subscribed to

@ I will finish the two books I started years back and publish them… and many other lofty goals.

I started well actually, like we all do in January. I finished one book and sent it to my editor. I wrote a couple of articles and then…Welcome 2014!

One of the many keys to success is assessment of past efforts. I had to review how well I did with meeting these goals. Did I achieve them all or fall by the wayside? What was responsible for the setbacks or failures I experienced? What lessons have 1 learnt from them?

I know that honest answers to these questions will help me set new realistic goals for 2014

I assessed myself and fell below average.

I failed at many writing tasks I had set for myself, like writing an article each day for the websites.

I could not go beyond the writing and editing of one of the two books.

And I completely abandoned my blog since January 2013! I miss this blog and the interaction it provides.

I could go on and on with my writing failures. Not that I idled away the year, I was just so busy doing other important things, and the irony was, I was mostly writing, but for other purposes - church commitments, editing other people’s jobs, teaching, and other important and not so important things.

I did not do well achieving my personal writing goals, period.

But I’m not giving up. 2014 is a new year, a new beginning with new opportunities. Should I be discouraged and not set new goals?

No.

If I fail to set new goals, then I’m setting myself up for more failures. So, I will go right ahead and set my goals. I will make them realistic. I will pursue them with vigor. I will pick up from where I left off in 2013, which is what I’m doing by writing this article. I will take it one day at a time; one sentence at a time. Every day, I will write a word, a sentence, a paragraph, a page, but I will not stop writing.

So help me God.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens…” Philippians 4:13

Enjoy God’s Exceeding Grace

What are your Writing and Reading Goals for 2014? 

HOW TO WRITE A CAPTIVATING ARTICLE

Yes, millions of articles are published every day; on the web, in national dailies, journals, newsletters; you name it. but many of these articles are never read or read through, not even by one person, except may be, by the author. This means, there are things about an article that attracts people to start reading and read through.

If you are an article writer or wants to be, learn and master ways to command high readership for whatever article you write.

Here are a few tips.

A catchy title

This is the first contact a reader has with your writing. So make it alluring. Some say, the shorter the better. I agree, but the length of your title is not as important as the magnetism. It can be a sentence as long as it catches interest.

If the title attracts them, they move on to the first paragraph. If the first paragraph excites them, they continue on the ride with you. Keep them interested from the beginning to the end.

Use an outline.

This is like a guide, a structure you can follow to give your article the proper shape. An outline is a rough plan that concentrates on the main features of your articles, not the details. It keeps you focused, helps you to eliminate irrelevancies and makes your writing complete and proportional.

A simple article outline consists of a beginning, middle and end, all separated by paragraphs.

The beginning is the opening paragraph. A well-written article of about 650 words needs an opening paragraph that introduces the topic in an exciting manner.

The middle should consist of about five to six paragraphs that explicate your topic. Here is where you give facts and explain your point of view. You can give instances or share experiences to throw more light.

The last paragraph, which concludes the article ties together your points and summarizes it interestingly. 

Say more with less

Keep your sentences and paragraphs short. Sentences make up paragraphs. The easiest way to have short paragraphs is to use short sentences. They not only give your article a fast pace, they make it easy to read and understand. Long, winding sentences can be confusing and boring. A paragraph can be a single, succinct sentence. 

Use Sub-headings

Web writing is mostly fast-paced and people appreciate it when the information you are serving is not lumped together.

Sub headings divide your article into sections and make it easier for your reader to move smoothly from one point to the other. Your article may look like a block of words without sub-headings. Like the title, make your sub-headings attractive but short. It gives your article a breezy outlook. 

Use numbers or bullets

These also help to avoid the single block look if they are formatted with indentations. Itemize your point with numbers or bullets. It not only emphasizes your key points, it makes them easy to read, digest and remember.

Write about what you know.

Nothing kills your motivation faster than writing about unfamiliar subjects. Nothing stimulates your creativity faster than writing about subjects you know and enjoy. So, write about what you are familiar with; your profession, a particular sport or hobby you enjoy or an experience that strikes you.

Start small

If you are a beginner, write short articles first, about 500-600 words. The shorter, the easier; the easier, the more you want to write more. You can write several short articles on a topic and later merge them together to make a comprehensive article.

For example, if you are writing an article on Binging, start with describing what it is and what causes it. Do that with 400 to 450 words and get it published. Next, do the Dangers of Binging, giving an example of someone you know who suffered from it. Publish that too. Then do another one on how to overcome the disorder.

You can then merge the three articles in about 650 t0 700 words to publish in another forum, with a captivating title like “The Dangers of Binging” or “Overcoming Binging.”

Make it succinct

Web articles especially, should be between 450 and 650 in length; long enough to make a coherent piece and short enough to hold your reader’s attention to the end. In addition, if you have to churn out articles every day, then it is better to make it short and to the point, or you wear yourself out.

Captivating articles sell especially if you are into article marketing on the web. You can use them to build links to your website and attract other webmasters who will want to put your articles on their sites.

You can print these articles on your website and in your e-newsletters free of charge, provided you don’t change the article in anyway and you include the link to our website.

©2012 PenParables

Publishing Rights: You may republish this article in your web site, newsletter, or ebook, on the condition that you agree to leave the article, author's signature, and all links completely intact.

WRITING CHRISTIAN ARTICLES   2

Grace Olumayowa Aideloje

I believe Christian writing, from A to Z, is a spiritual journey. It is not to be done in the flesh. When Christ commissioned John ‘to write’ in the book of Revelations, He guided him stage by stage through it all. Jesus kept telling John what to write. At a point, John heard a voice and wanted to write, but Jesus stopped him in Revelation 10:4.

And when the seven thunders had spoken (sounded), I was going to write [it down], but I heard a voice from heaven saying, Seal up what the seven thunders have said! Do not write it down! (AMP)

A Christian Writer is not to write based on assumption but on The Truth.

And He Who is seated on the throne said, See! I make all things new. Also He said, Record this, for these sayings are faithful (accurate, incorruptible, and trustworthy) and true (genuine).  Revelation 21:5 (AMP)

If you want your works to be blessed and to bless others, you can’t afford to write what you want or feel. You must follow The Master.

Here are more tips on writing good Christian articles or other Christian works.

A Christian Writer or a Writing Christian?
Here is another article posted with permission, on a topic we’ve discussed at some of our fora. ARE YOU A CHRISITAN WRITER OR A CHRISTIAN WHO WRITE? This article is written by Samuel Connelly.

As a former DJ and VJ, I had the opportunity to interview a few people in the music industry and I came across an interesting concept: There is a difference between those who consider themselves 'Christian Bands' and those who see themselves as 'Bands who are made up of Christian musicians'. This really hit me as an interesting and somewhat confusing concept at first.
I was raised to believe that if you are a Christian, then your career should reflect that. In my mind, if you are a Christian then naturally you were to sing music that encourages Christians to be strong in their faith, or else, sing to bring glory to Jesus. Soon I was introduced to a whole new group of Christians; the group of Christians who sang songs that did not glorify God, period. They carried moral messages.
Artists like:

Three Things All Christian Writers Must Do

By Bob Valleau

When I first started to write, I wrote from my heart. I blindly thought everyone would find what I wrote interesting and pile on the accolades. I was sorely disappointed. Later, I discovered that writing from the heart is okay, but my writing lacked focus, tone, style and organization. As soon as I incorporated these things into my writing, it made for a better read and the accolades soon came.

However, I don't write to impress others or have a goal to win any awards. But I do welcome feedback and, yes, I have been awarded. As a Christian writer, though, I write to communicate the foundational truths of the Gospel, no matter what form these truths are communicated, i.e., book, article, poem, song, etc. To accomplish this worthy goal, I feel there are three things all Christian writers must do.

Christian writers must encourage believers to keep the faith, to remain steadfast through good times and bad. Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." But what does "keeping the faith" exactly mean? Paul answers this in Colossians 1:23, "If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven." Also, Hebrews 3:14 says, "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end." Hope fuels the flames of faith and gives those who feel defeated a reason to persevere.

Christian writers must inspire believers to act upon God's Word, even when faced with a seemingly impossible situation. Second Corinthians 4:8 says, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair." Jesus said in Luke 18:27, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." And, Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." Inspiring others to be courageous is contagious . . . and a catalyst for spreading a wildfire of success.

Christian writers must instruct believers on how to walk in truth because the enemy seeks to deceive and to destroy. First Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour." David says in Psalm 86:11, "Teach me your way, O Lord and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." Psalm 26:3 says, "For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth." Finally, Jesus says in John 8:32, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Truth dispels darkness, sets captives free and shines light upon troubled souls, filling them with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Now, there are times when I write just to entertain or to share something personal. But when I address believers on a particular topic or offer a solution to one of life's many dilemmas, I must include one or more of the above. If I don't, then, truly, my writing is in vain.

© 2012 by Bob Valleau. Bob has over 25 years of writing experience for the Christian market. He was once named Christian Writer of the Year by the American Christian Writers Association. Currently, he freelances and lives in Texas.

Article Source: http://articles.faithwriters.com/reprint-article-details.php?id=15585