I’m still writing
After yesterday’s revelations, I’m still writing.
I will not be able to quit my day job, and at best I might enhance our income by $6 to $20k. But there’s value in writing, whether it is to express my thoughts and emotions, to explore skill-building, or to fantasize about making it big.
Time plus money = ?
I need to get value from my writing equivalent to the time (lots) and the money (considerably less) that I have put into my writing.
However, whenever we fulfill a goal, value comes from two outcomes: changes (usually gains) in resources and satisfaction. Gains in resources don’t have to be monetary — they can be in terms of knowledge and experience. Satisfaction comes from completing goals, and the feeling of that satisfaction differs by where it comes from. The deepest satisfaction comes from satisfying higher-order goals, goals that come from higher values like beauty, truth, and accomplishment.
Looking at my time and money spent writing, I see that I have increased greatly in both experience and knowledge about writing. I have written several pieces, both short and long, and that represents another gain in resources. And, having satisfied the higher-level goals of accomplishment and knowledge, I feel this satisfaction very deeply.
(Note: The discussion on the outputs from fulfilling goals, or the value-creating activities, comes from family resource management theory, which I taught for close to 20 years. For a summary of resource management theories, read here.)
What I want out of writing
I, of course, have been analyzing this question of what I want out of writing to make sure I’m getting my money’s worth, as it were. This is the list I came up with:
- To learn about writing
- To get people to read my work
- To enjoy my time writing
- To be able to call myself an author
- To improve in my writing
- To enjoy a hobby
I think there are good enough reasons here to keep me writing.
How about you?
What is a goal of yours and what does it give you?
Words Like Me 
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