This has not been a banner week for me.
I’m an early riser, and yet every day the previous week, I woke up late; getting out of bed was an endless struggle.
The approaching weekend filled me with dread; what wisdom could I possibly impart in my currently unmotivated state?
I think it had to do with the fact that it’s officially been a year since COVID-19 has flipped everyone’s world upside down.
Thinking about it makes me sober; the fact that a year from today, we probably all thought this would be a fun little detour from our everyday routine, that we’d be back at work and “up and at them” by the end of spring.
What I’d give for those first few hopeful weeks.
But now it’s been a year at home. Toronto has just slightly eased lockdown after 100 days of stay-at-home orders, and now there’s been murmurings that another three weeks of resumed lockdown could be in the cards.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it: It sucks. It sucks hard.
In the beginning, my inner introvert thrived with the global pause, churning out content at a feverish pace and living my best writer life without the hindrance of a schedule or having to go into an office (I would eventually be relieved of a job as well, but at the time, I didn’t realize it).
But an introvert can only take SO MUCH introversion.
Honestly, it feels like Ontario is trapped inside some incessant, sadistic COVID-19 caucus race. You know, from Alice in Wonderland?
This is all to say that, as of late, my motivation has taken a nosedive. I’m still determined to make weekly posts on my site, but work towards my novel has crawled to a standstill.
I told myself that I would start to revise my manuscript in March. It’s now almost April, and I’ve barely looked at the first page.
It’s gotten me into a bit of a mood, like I’m unable to press forward.
That’s when I pause, and take a deep breath, and tell myself: IT’S OKAY.
Sometimes it’s fine to do something else for a while.
Don’t misinterpret me – I’ve still been writing. I’ve been occupying much of my time with entering contests and trying out writing exercises that I wouldn’t normally take.
Honestly? I find it therapeutic.
I think it’s been especially tempting to double down on productivity during the pandemic, especially when our routines have been upended and the days just seem to meld into one another.
But I think it’s a good reminder that we don’t ALWAYS have to be doing something for a greater purpose.
Sometimes it’s nice to write just to write, or to challenge our mind in some other way.
So there’s been minimal progress on the editing front. But I’m getting other things done. And right now, it’s those other things that are fulfilling me. And that’s all that matters.
So my quick answer on how to overcome lack of motivation? You don’t. You just be.