Written by Ashley Lopez

Hi everyone, welcome back to Ashley Spills. Ashley, here. You can check out my other posts here.

I got laid off

Okay, so I got laid off end of April due to the virus and I’ve really just been trying to figure out my next move. Prior to getting laid off, I was working remotely for about a month due to the shelter in place mandate. Before I got laid off, I couldn’t imagine going back to the office. I was seriously freaking out about getting a date to go back in. The point of me saying all of this is: at this point in my life I do NOT want to return to an on-site work place. So many things are crossing my mind; I’m just boiling with ideas, scenarios, and desires to work remotely and have various streams of income.

There are thousands of people who make money in different ways. People are so creative; I know I’m not lacking in that, but I am lacking motivation, drive, and energy to do so. Goodness it feels like so much work to get to where I want. I want to monetize this blog, start a YouTube channel, work remotely, and teach English online. None of these goals are unachievable. In fact, all of them are so possible and completely realistic. What feels so difficult is getting there. But I know that successful people put in WERRKKK, so I need to turn off my negative energy and find my inner motivation. LET’S GET IT, ASHLEY.

Just do it and get to work!

To monetize a blog, I need to have niche, but I wasn’t exactly sure what mine was. Now I (kind of) do, I know I want to have a creative section and a how-to / advice section on different topics that I have experience with like growing up with divorced parents, students loans, college, living with roommates, budgeting for dummies, being financially independent, etc. Then I have to learn how to market on Pinterest apparently and self-host my site. Anyways, I’m getting there. I was focusing so much on research and my new name that I wasn’t actually writing. So now, I’m just trying to get content together and a solid list of ideas to keep me writing because I also plan to post two to three times a week. Anyways, this site will be changing, and my followers will come with me. Thanks for the support.  

I’m having such a freaking difficult time writing. I have so many started articles about the topics I shared above that I cannot finish. When I get frustrated, I am on to the next idea. Damn. Just last night I was Googling how to stay motivated while writing and finishing an idea. If I want to write a how-to on fishing, I swear to you I’ll somehow end up writing about babies. It’s like this: I have so many thoughts I cannot put them to rest. At times I just feel like giving up, like I’m not going anywhere with these ambitions. Let me just go back to a nine to five job. Which, hey if it happens, it happens. I’ll be grateful and I’ll just keep writing anyways.

I had to look up how to stay motivated

After looking up tips on how to stay motivated, I read that I shouldn’t edit as I write and when I’m stuck, just start something new. I guess I am doing alright. We are all doing what we can. I can’t expect myself to write eight hours a day even though I’m used to working eight-hour shifts. Writing is different. The production. The self-criticism. Knowing that all of my many typos are just waiting to be noticed. That one idea that ends up being 20 ideas. It’s freaking me out, but I love it. I hate the stress, but when I’m writing and know that it’s leading to the point I was trying to make—it’s so worth it. Sure, 8/10 times it’s not going where I’d like it to go, but at least it’s going somewhere.

On top of having a difficult time writing sometimes, I literally cannot stop thinking about the other things I want to pursue (YouTube, teaching English online, administrative stuff). YouTube, hmm, that’s gonna be fun. I want to start an ASMR channel. Teaching, I have an interview next Wednesday so wish me luck! Administrative stuff, I mainly want to do this to have job security while pursuing my other passions. There are 24 hours in a day, and I swear I spend so much time thinking about everything I need to do to execute everything. Baby steps, Ashley. It’s okay to not be perfect.

Just do it: Conclusion

So, to everyone who is struggling to stay motivated in whatever you’re trying to do, as Nike always pushes us to do: JUST DO IT.

Even if it’s really bad.

Even if you know that thing you’re doing may not be “the one”.

The ride is about progress, improvement, and getting out at least 2% of ideas from your very crowded brain.

So, just do it.

Thanks for reading, xo.

Other resources

Motivated meaning here