Ever since I started this blog more than 10 years ago, I always had one goal in mind. Publish at least one article EVERY month. Can’t skip even one single month. Even if I don’t have the motivation, or am out of ideas, at least one article MUST come out.
It’s about having a routine, and not getting in the habit of excuses. Once you start skipping writing, it’s very easy to quit. And I don’t want to quit. It’s true, I have been very unmotivated the past year. There are personal circumstances which get me often depressed, however writing usually served me as an outlet for this.
In the past year, writing hasn’t been able to fulfil this function. I started writing on Medium a few years ago, and what kept me going is some of the success I was starting to see. People were finally reading my stuff. And I was even making a bit of money for that.
This year, this totally collapsed. Very few people read my articles now. And I literally earn only a few cents a month. It’s gotten that bad. Writing has never been about the money. I was always driven by the intrinsic motivation of learning and being creative. This has driven me to write all those years, when I wasn’t earning anything.
However, deep down, we all know extrinsic motivation also plays a role. It can’t be the main factor, but it also has its place. When it’s not there, it can kill any type of project. And especially as you get older, and things don’t seem to be going your way, intrinsic motivation starts losing its power. This is what I have discovered.
Anyways, this is just a short reflection I have had this month. This little piece also allows me to keep my monthly writing routine. And hopefully, if any rare soul does come across this, it can also help them put a little perspective on how the world works, and what drives people in their life.