I recently saw an interesting workshop on getting yourself to write, how sometimes you resist doing even something you want to do and enjoy doing. That’s a weird problem I sometimes have. Once I get started, it’s easy, but sometimes I have to drag myself to work. It’s not so much that I dread it. It’s making the transition from what I was doing to writing. I enjoy sitting on the deck or on the sofa with a cup of tea in the morning, and I don’t want to leave my comfy spot to get to work. Or I find it difficult to get back to work after lunch.

One of the things the speaker said that caught my attention was the use of intrinsic vs. extrinsic rewards. An extrinsic reward is something that comes from outside yourself and that isn’t really related to the task, like getting a treat for doing something. An intrinsic reward comes from within the task, like the satisfaction of a job well done or the enjoyment of doing the thing. Intrinsic rewards are far more motivating, so the best way to get yourself to do something is to find the intrinsic reward. The trick is that you have to start doing the thing before you can find and experience the intrinsic reward that will make you want to do the thing again. You can use extrinsic rewards to get to that point, but they work best if you use them as a reward for starting to do it, not for finishing. If you give yourself the reward for finishing, you may miss feeling the intrinsic reward.

That was a big lightbulb moment for me because it explains something I’ve experienced. When I was struggling to get back into a writing routine after all the disruption from moving cross-country, house hunting, moving to the house, and getting the house set up, I bought myself some chocolate to use as rewards. The plan was to give myself a small square of chocolate if I hit my minimum goal, and on days when I hit my “crushed it” goal, I got a truffle.

But I found that I almost never ate the chocolate. I forgot I had it. By the time I got there, the thrill of hitting the goal was enough, so I didn’t need the chocolate and I forgot to eat it most days. So now I need to rethink the reward system to get myself to my desk in the first place. I don’t want chocolate first thing in the morning, but I could use that as a way to get back to the desk after lunch. To get my lunch dessert, I have to sit down at my desk. In the morning, maybe that’s the way I get a second cup of tea. The speaker also suggested a pleasant ritual, like lighting a candle, having a cozy pair of socks you only wear while writing, or listening to certain music. The candle doesn’t work for me in the summer because of the ceiling fan, and I can’t even see the candlelight in the morning because one of my office windows faces east, but I like the idea of finding some pleasant “ah, I’m at my desk, this is nice” routine. I just need something that will get me at my desk and writing the first words. After that, I get in a groove and enjoy it.

When I’m drafting or brainstorming and I don’t want to come in from the deck, I work outside, though that works less well while editing or proofreading because the glare on the screen makes it hard to see details. I’ve also had some success with not letting myself get to the deck or sofa. I finish reading the newspaper at the dining table and go straight to my desk. I do miss the outdoor time, though.

This hasn’t been a huge problem for me lately because I was finishing a draft and eager to write, but it’s good to have in mind when I’m in the middle of a book, it’s starting to feel like a slog, and I want nothing more than to sit on the sofa all morning.