2. Finding the Motivation to Write

There are so many people in this world who think they are not writers. They don't feel confident writing, they think their grammar is poor, or they think they don't have anything the world would want to read. In this episode, we uncover why that is, we go back to the root cause, and we talk about solutions.


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Transcript

2. Finding the Motivation to Write

What's up everybody? Hope you're well, hope you're writing lots. Today, I want to talk to you about learning the right lessons from writing. There are so many people in this world who struggle with writing, who don't feel confident writing, and there are so many people in this world who think they're just not writers, they just don't write well. And there's a big problem with that because writing, which is using the language in the written form, is something that everybody can do.

We all learn the language and then we learn how to write. And so it's almost kind of innate in a sense, although we do have to learn it. And so, if we're thinking about literate people, we can all write. But there are a lot of people who struggle, who get stuck, and who just don't feel confident in articulating their ideas in the written form. And so why is that? Well, to answer that question, we have to go back to our early education and we're taught writing in school, right? We're taught writing in school and we're taught by teachers.

And, you know, the period in which I believe is the most likely for someone to start enjoying writing is high school, because we start to really form our identity. We start thinking about who we want to be in the future and we start thinking about the ideas that will shape us throughout our life. And so, there is a lot of things we can be writing about in high school.

However, what happens in high school is we are assigned topics. We are assigned writing assignments. And most of the time, these topics in these writing assignments, they're not on topics that really interest us. They're on topics based on reading that we've done. Sometimes we get to pick the topic, but it's still within certain constraints. And so we are never really free to explore our own ideas and our own creativity when it comes to writing. And so, that's our opportunities to practice writing, and we're not practicing with topics that truly interest to us.

And so that's a problem because you cannot get good at something for which you have an external reward, such as gaining a grade, passing the class, et cetera. You need to be intrinsically motivated to learn something and learn to do it well, and learn to appreciate its power. If kids were taught at school that writing is the most powerful skill in the world, that it will make you rich, and not just rich at a financial level--will make you rich intellectually as well--, then, it would also make you happier because writing is formalized thinking, right?

So, the better you get at writing, the better you get at thinking, and so you get more refined in your vision of the world. You get more sophisticated in how you approach what's going on internally and externally. And so it just sets you up for success.

But kids don't know that from high school. They think that grammar is just this tool to write essays on Hamlet. And, you know, I love Shakespeare, but back in high school, that wasn't my main preoccupation. And so I think, you know, there's, and I digress here, but I think kids should be taught writing for practical purposes and purposes that really speak to them and their preoccupations as teenagers.

But, you know, I'm not a curriculum designer or whatever, and, so, I don't have a say over how writing is taught in school. Now, there's nothing I can really do about that. But I will say to you, if you are wanting to be more successful, if you are wanting to be more articulate, and if you are wanting to grow your business or your career, then you need to practice writing with topics that really interest you. Topics that propel you and express ideas that you want to share with the world and that, you know, are going to get you closer to your goals, let's say that.

And so, once you realize that, and you know, it's very easy, just pick a topic and pick a few ideas that you think shape you and start writing about them and find a goal. Find a purpose and think about who you would want to write it for, and then figure out how you can express those ideas in a way that is going to be impactful. Then I can tell you, after you do that, or you get practice with that, you are going to be powerful. You are going to be lethal. And not only that, you will see writing in a way that you have never seen before. You are going to understand that writing isn't just a bunch of grammatical rules, that grammar actually matters in the shaping of your thoughts.

And so, you'll see how writing is this tool you can use to get to your goals to be more successful. And you will not only be much better at writing and feeling more confident, but you will also enjoy the process more and more. And the beautiful thing is when you start taking writing seriously, you become consumed with it. And when you do it right, you really lose yourself in the writing process. And it's a beautiful, beautiful thing to experience because it stretches the limits of your intellectual capacities.

It stretches the limits of your intellectual capacities, and there is nothing, nothing more powerful than that. So, like I said, find topics that you really want to write on and find ideas that you want to express to the world and that you think are going to be impactful. And practice writing. Do it deliberately, ask for feedback, implement things that you learn about writing, and I can guarantee you that you will become powerful, even lethal.

So that's it for today. I hope this was helpful. Hope this was inspiring, and I will talk to you guys next time. Bye.