Are You Writing for the Right Reasons?

If goals are your main motivation, it may be time to think about your writing differently

Photo by Windows on Unsplash

“There are many reasons to write. And most of them are bad.” — Tim Denning

Everyone has different reasons for writing.

Some of us write because it’s our job to put words on the page and send them off to our clients. Some of us write because it brings us joy or relieves stress. And still, others write because they are compelled to — they simply can’t help it.

I write because there’s a little voice inside that tells me to. It runs through my head daily, and whispers to me in the dark.

But that doesn’t mean I’ve always listened to it.

For years, I’ve jumped back and forth between different pursuits, trying out new jobs and setting off in a number of different directions.

But as I look back, it becomes clearer that there was something that connected them all, no matter how different they were: writing.

Writing has shown up in different forms throughout my life, from journalistic writing in university, to writing a journal while traveling, to blogging for magazines and my personal blog. Sometimes it’s been more consistent than at other times, when it seems to…