Doing personal work progjects w/o pay motivation?

[DrunkenMaster]

I graduated from university last year. I've been planning on doing some professional development type stuff: certifications, readings, building a portfolio and just having fun with digital artwork/drawing. When I had to submit papers for university, I had the pressure to get loads of work done. Now that I'm not being paid or rewarded to do the work I'm not motivated. I'm not planning on spending 20 hour a week on this stuff outside of FT work. I just found that the "easy" things" - hanging out with friends, shopping (spending money) and doing a lot of sports is the motivator.

There's the old theory of writers, I just have to sit around to become "inspired" to write the next great novel. Or I just need some coffe and perk me up. Doesn't work. Ideas?

Sorry don't mean to SPAM the general thread like Hum does with the News? :rolleyes:

[GreenMartian]

Edit: Sorry, didn't see the fact that you have a ft job. Well, in my line of job, if i dont personally improve myself, i'd be out of job. I'm an IT contractor. I have to keep us with the market demands.

Maybe you could try freelancing?

Edited August 29, 2008 by GreenMartian

[maplecookie Veteran]

I know exactly where you are coming from. When there's motivation to do a good job it's easier to get it done. Even with writing it's not as easy as loading up on caffeine and going to town, one needs to be motivated.

My choice was to no longer do these outside projects unless I know my time is well spent and I'm getting something in return. I feel bitchy about it and to be honest I also feel kind of guilty, but I know that I spend hours researching and making calls before writing something and submitting it...I can't take that kind of time if I'm not seeing something in return. I work hard and I'm good at what I do so I can't allow my outside life, my normal job, and my stress level to be affected....SOOO I simply don't write, do data entry, or other freelance work unless I'm getting paid for it.

The same goes for designing websites, images, and other art. If you aren't doing it simply for you, then you should be receiving some sort of reward whether its a pay increase at work, pay for your work, or even just acknowledgment.

Sorry, you asked for ideas and I don't really have them myself...just letting you know there are others in your situation.

[Mike]

if it were me i'd be looking to do something else, getting paid shouldn't motivate you into doing something. If it does, you're only doing it for the money which will eventually lead to what you're doing boring the pants off you.

[soothsayer]

Set goals, and break those goals up into smaller goals. If you want to get certified in something, schedule and pay for your test (let's say four to six months in the future), buy your training materials, and make it a point to go through a certain portion of them every week.

There's nothing wrong with doing things for money, but these things you need to do for your own personal development, which should get you more money in the future.

Writers operate in a similar fashion; they write a little bit every day. No one has ever had a novel leap into their mind fully-formed, and just had to type it up. They write, and some scenes make it into the final draft, and others don't.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

There's the old theory of writers, I just have to sit around to become "inspired" to write the next great novel. Or I just need some coffe and perk me up. Doesn't work. Ideas?

The biggest difference between professional writers and amateurs is that professional writers will write and re-write every paragraph far more times than a amateur ever would. It's all about editing, revising, rewriting, scraping, and toiling.

[maplecookie Veteran]

if it were me i'd be looking to do something else, getting paid shouldn't motivate you into doing something. If it does, you're only doing it for the money which will eventually lead to what you're doing boring the pants off you.

I don't really think that's the case. I love writing, but there is a certain site that will deny my articles from time to time. I get told they are wonderfully well written and they have no problem using them on their site, but I only earn pennies on them. I enjoy putting the articles together, but it's not something I can just do for myself and then just stuff away into a portfolio. If the new owner earns money off of something I write and they'll typically earn about 40 dollars or more a month, I deserved to be paid for it not just earn a few cents each month from it.

The same goes for those who do work projects outside of work. That project is ultimately benefiting the company and unless one has ties within that company besides just being employed by them, then the person should be paid for it or rewarded in some way.

[DrunkenMaster]

There is some of it that is for an immediate payoff - I do intend to write articles for magazines. I don't mind re-writing and such.

The website and other writing is to build a portfolio. I fully intend on doing a Master's in Mass Communication or Journalism and in the process, I'm building a portfolio to help me get in and when I graduate, I'll have some doors open from my work. There might not be any money but I'm willing to do work for non-profits. So the payoff isn't immediate, but I plan on starting my Masters in about two years.

The other stuff is personal time more than anything else.