(Someone Else’s) Profanity Filled Motivational Kick in the Ass

It’s a new year! If you’re like most people, at some point in the last 30 days you took a brief look at your life, thought about what you wanted to change or improve, and made a commitment that this year you would finally do it.

If so, then you definitely need a motivational kick in the ass!

I just came across a great post titled, “25 Things Writers Should Stop Doing”

Though the post is aimed at writers (obviously), most of the advice applies pretty much to everyone. You can read and take value from the post by simply injecting your own passion/dream/goal in place of “writing.”

There is one slight problem though…

The original post is filled with profanity. For example, the full title of the post is “25 Things Writers Should Stop Doing (Right F*&^%$g Now).” And they didn’t censor out the “F” word. In fact, it makes frequent appearances throughout the rest of the article.

That doesn’t bother me at all (which is why I am linking to it), but some of you may be offended. Or may be sitting at a computer where you don’t want to bring that up. Consider yourself warned.

Here are my four favorite points from the post, edited for language (the bolding is mine too):

Stop Running Away

Right here is your story. Your manuscript. Your career. So why are you running in the other direction? Your writing will never chase you — you need to chase your writing. If it’s what you want, then pursue it. This isn’t just true of your overall writing career, either. It’s true of individual components. You want one thing but then constantly work to achieve its opposite. You say you want to write a novel but then go and write a bunch of short stories. You say you’re going to write This script but then try to write That script instead. Pick a thing and work toward that thing.

Stop Stopping

Momentum is everything. Cut the brake lines. Careen wildly and unsteadily toward your goal. I hate to bludgeon you about the head and neck with a hammer forged in the volcanic fires of MountObvious, but the only way you can finish something is by not stopping. That story isn’t going to [write] itself.

Stop Thinking It Should Be Easier

It’s not going to get any easier, and why should it? Anything truly worth doing requires hella hard work. If climbing to the top of Kilimanjaro meant packing a light lunch and hopping in a climate-controlled elevator, it wouldn’t really be that big a deal, would it? You want to do This Writing Thing, then don’t just expect hard work — be happy that it’s a hard row to hoe and that you’re just the, er, hoer to hoe it? I dunno. Don’t look at me like that. AVERT YOUR GAZE, SCRUTINIZER. And get back to work.

Stop Playing it Safe

Let 2012 be the year of the risk. Nobody knows what’s going on in the publishing industry, but we can be damn sure that what’s going on with authors is that we’re finding new ways to be empowered in this New Media Future. What that means is, it’s time to forget the old rules. Time to start questioning preconceived notions and established conventions. It’s time to start taking some risks both in your career and in your storytelling. Throw open the doors. Kick down the walls of your uncomfortable box. Carpet bomb the Comfort Zone so that none other may dwell there.

You can read the other 21 points here:

“25 Things Writers Should Stop Doing”

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About

By Avish Parashar. As the world's only Motivational Improviser, Avish uses techniques from the world of improv comedy to engage, entertain, and educate audiences on ideas around change, creativity, and motivation. Connect with Avish on Google+

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