11 Unconventional Reasons to Motivate Your Writing

Does writing come natural to you or do you make clichéd excuses and watered-down reasons why you’re not doing it everyday?

For this post, let’s throw your writing a curveball. Here are some not-so-typical reasons why it’s worth the daily discipline and persistence:

1. Producing feels better than consuming. Writing is an act of production, and while it’s not as easy to do, it certainly feels more rewarding to give than to take. Be a word philanthropist!
2. Words command attention. Do it good and the world will listen to you. Do it right and they will act.
3. Teach yourself something new everyday. Unlike “ordinary” thinking, writing actually connects the disparate ideas in your head into something concrete, useful, portable and public.
4. Talk to yourself without going crazy. Writing purges the clutter in your head that leads to temporary, or even permanent, insanity.
5. Play offense and defense in sticky situations. Powerful writing can get you through some tough moments in life. I’ve shut down enemies, secured two mortgages and received tens of thousands of dollars in help—all from very carefully chosen words arranged on a page.
6. Sometimes it’s all you got. Writing is a healthy alternative to giving up on life. If you find yourself in a frustrating, disappointing or otherwise shockingly horrible situation—just write. It really does help. Trust me.
7. Lay down your legacy. Every time you write, every time you publish, you leave a trail of yourself, of who you are and what you represent. These words will outlive but eternalize you. Just a little something to think about.
8. A little writing goes a long way. One word or phrase can make all the difference.  Sometimes it’s all you need to make that magic connection with people. If you don’t believe me, try writing to your close family members every now and then.
9. Can be lucrative. I can’t possibly express this point any better than Brian Clark of Copyblogger just did.
10. It helps burn calories. A good day of writing can increase your appetite and leave you feeling like you’ve just moved your aunt’s  piano to her new penthouse across town. There’s probably no scientific evidence to support this, but I’ll vouch for it.
11. It feels greeeeeeaat! When you get into a solid groove of writing, there are few other activities that satisfy your intellect, emotions and personal goals all in one fell swoop.

So go ahead — keep writing!

Image by elph.