As someone who gets bored easily, I can attest to how challenging it can be to stay faithful to your dreams. For me, with writing, there comes a point during each manuscript when I find myself ready to be done with it and itching to move on to the next story. Unfortunately, this usually happens right around the time when I’ve completed the first draft and the revisions (a.k.a. “the real work”) loom before me.
This is sort of where I’m at right now. I have a mountain of great feedback from my editor just waiting to be implemented, but all I can think about are the new ideas rolling around in my head. Come to think of it, this may be why I struggled with oil painting in college – I like to get to the part where I can sit back and admire the finished product; it’s the working and re-working that’s a challenge for me.
Of course, it’s in the working and re-working that real masterpieces are created.
So how do you stay faithful to your dream when your commitment is wavering? Here are some tips that are helping me:
1. Renew your vows. By revisiting your original goals they will become clearer in your mind, making them easier to focus on.
2. Make adjustments. Pursuing a dream is a process of discovery. Perhaps your original timeline was too aggressive? Maybe the end result isn’t realistic? Don’t be afraid to tweak your vision along the way.
3. Identify pitfalls and avoid them in the future. Is something in your life making it hard to honor your commitment? Is it a scheduling issue? Do you have access to the right resources? Pinpoint what’s detracting your attention and find a way around it.
4. Get back on the wagon. Just like a dieting slip-up, you have to accept your mistake and recommit yourself to your dream.
5. Reignite the spark. If you’re lacking motivation, try to remember what made your dream a dream in the first place. By rediscovering the “puppy love”, you can tap into a whole new well of inspiration to propel you forward.
Anyone else out there struggling to stay faithful to a dream? How do you stay committed?
I think this may be why authors are encouraged to put away a work for a while before beginning revisions. It’s difficult to see things with a fresh eye and to create the excitement you first felt when writing it when you are so used to reading the same words. I’m currently revising a novel I hadn’t seen in over two years, it’s exciting again….and it’s giving me a needed break from my WIP.