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Why, oh why! It sounds like a heretical question nobody asks themselves or others for fear of the writers’ inquisition. For many writers, though, this question could prove crucial. If you ask yourself this question from time to time, you will discover more about your motivation. Motivation is key when it comes to being happy with what you’re doing, and with being successful. Insufficient motivation will lead you in many directions, but ultimately not to where you’re meant to go. And even if you do end up in the right place, the process of getting there may have been a nightmare.

Remind yourself of something we all consider once in a while: life is short and anything can happen to end it. I know that sounds harsh; it’s nevertheless true for us all. And because life is so short, it’s a waste of your time and energy to spend it doing things that you don’t want to do. Hence the question: Why would you want to spend time and energy sitting in front of a computer screen or a piece of paper to write? Are there no other things that you prefer to be doing? I can think of many and yet I sit down regularly and write about things I know and have learned.

My motivation to write has changed many times since I became able to hold a pencil. From “I have to because my teacher says so” in primary school, to “I have to in order to get a decent grade” in high school, to “I have to and somehow also want to because I want to succeed in my studies” at university, to “I want to get a PhD” and eventually: [12] “I want to because I like the challenge and I want to communicate things that others can learn from.” If I can’t write on a regular basis – due to lack of a new topic to write about, illness, my kids sucking up my time and energy – I’m missing out on something and can become grumpy at times. Especially after having completed a book project without having something else to write, I suffer from Post Publication Depression. Thinking back to the times when writing felt like hell, this change in motivation motivates me even more.

So, again, why do you write? Is it for a degree, for reputation, because you have to (due to some extrinsic motivators), because it’s your life’s essence and without it you would shrivel up and die, or some other reason? No matter what motivates you or how your motivation changes over time, from project to project, you should be clear about it.

Your motivation may have two layers: a fundamental one that does not change for longer periods of time, on the one hand (my fundamental motivation has held true for the last six years), and a project-dependent motivation on the other. The latter will not likely conflict with your fundamental motivation, but may shift your focus.

Here’s an example of the second kind of motivation: one project motivates you because it offers an opportunity to communicate with influential experts in your field. Another feels like an obligation (your superior asked you to do it), although you see the potential for some kind of institutional kudos for it. Yet another project annoys you because it’s on a topic that you’re no longer actively researching or working on. You may be doing a colleague a favor and want to get it over with in order to spend more time on more motivating projects.

[13] Knowing your motivation for a new project and knowing if it goes against your core motivation puts you in a good position to stay true to your academic self (it sounds cheesy, I know), and to reject the project or modify it to the degree that fits your motivation.