Here are 10 things I do to kick up my motivation for the writing.

• Beauty. Do you ever stop, if only for a moment, and look at the world around you?  How blue the sky is?  How beautiful the snow dusted trees look?  How bright the flowers are?  How a lazy cat looks content sitting beneath the fronds of a lavender bush?  Focus on this feeling enjoying the beauty of the world brings you and carry it to the place you write.
• If you think you can or you think you can't, you're right. How do you think about your goals?  If you believe with all your heart that you'll find a way to make them reality, move on to the next item on the list.  If you're like my husband, a self-proclaimed realist (I call him Eeyore), you're probably correct.  The brain creates paths in line with our thinking, just like those trails you see cattle make in a field.  Get off the negative track! If you're at risk of becoming a gray donkey, try to turn every "realist" comment into something positive.  Example:  "I'll never get published," into "I'm on my way to being published!"
• The difference between being informed and being dragged down. Being aware of what's happening in the world is fine, but how upbeat and energetic did you feel after watching 3 hours of coverage on the Haiti disaster?  I donated (twice), but tried to limit myself to twice a day updates.  Along those lines (for you realists), monitor the amount of time you watch those shows that re-enact murders and disasters.  Talk about sucking the life out of you.  It'll suck the creativity right out of you, too.
• How social are you? Don't let the technology stream take over your life so much it interrupts your writing time.  Set a timer and refuse to check email, text, Facebook, Twitter, answer the phone, etc. until your time is up (I recommend 60 minutes:  science shows it takes 10-15 minutes to get in the "zone" after any interruption).
• Seek out silence. Whether in your car, at home, on a walk - try to spend time within your own head.  That's right.  Put down the earphones, turn off the stereo, shut down the TV.  You'd be surprised how quickly your brain embraces a story or finds a solution to a problem.

Halfway there...

• Rediscover your inner child. Watch America's Funniest Home Videos, sit on a bench and watch children play in the park, stop at the pet shop and gaze at the puppies playing, pull up a favorite comedian on YouTube.  Now laugh, chuckle, chortle, giggle.  Feels good, doesn't it?  Sit down to write.
• Sometimes you gotta dance. Professional athletes warm up to music, why shouldn't you?  Turn on something that moves you and dance (even if you have to shut the bathroom door to do it).  And then sit down to write.
• Watch TV on your time. Between Tivo/digital recorders, Hulu.com and any network's web site you can catch TV when you're free (like Sunday afternoon when there's nothing else on).  Don't let the TV schedule control when you do things or become an excuse not to write.
• Make a date. There's nothing like putting your writing time into your calendar - most phones let you do that now.  Make an appointment with yourself and stick to it.  Pretty soon your family will realize you're serious about your dreams and respect that time (caution:  don't expect miracles on the first day).
• Journal your progress. Write down what you did while the timer was on - plotted a scene, wrote a paragraph, banged out a scene, revised a section.  Please note:  any progress is to be commended.  Repeat after me:  I am a good writer. Sit down and write some more.

So, whether your dream is to be a writer or lose weight or (you fill in the blank), dreams don't come true by wishing.  As Oprah says:  Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. A quote from Seneca, a Roman dramatist, philosopher and politician.  And if you needed another example, you can't drive from one coast to another in one day.  You accomplish it one section of road at a time.  Everyone:  Butt in chair, fingers on keys.

M