Everyone has at least one goal in life, whether it is to become the CEO of a top company or to quit their job and travel the world. Maybe your goal is to finish your degree or to write a book. Whatever it is, you need to find your motivation to achieve it.

I have envisioned myself as an author since I was a kid. But besides taking creative writing classes in school and majoring in English, I didn’t do much to reach that goal. I had a nice dream, but that’s all it was. I wasn’t motivated. Until now.

Now I have a husband who works hard to support our family and I would love to be able to contribute financially, even a little, while still staying home with our kids.

Now I have two daughters who look up to me. I want them to see that their mom didn’t give up on her dream. I want them to know how important it is not to give up, and how rewarding it is to achieve a goal.

And most importantly, I now have internal motivation. I want to write novels for myself. To prove to myself that I can do it. Thirty years from now, I don’t want to look back and wonder what could have happened if I had given it my all. I want to look back and smile, no matter if I end up selling one book or thousands, because I know that I did everything I could to make my dream a reality.

These motivating factors make me turn on my laptop when I’d rather be watching TV. They get me to think about possible scenes for my book when I’m cooking dinner or driving the kids to preschool. They push me to submit my short stories, even when the idea of other people judging my work is a little terrifying. And they encouraged me to start this blog and open up about my writing journey instead of keeping it inside me like it’s something to be embarrassed about.

Whenever I get frustrated or tired or doubt my abilities, I’m going to take a moment and remember why I write and who I am doing this for. And then I’m going to pick up a pencil or read the latest issue of Writer’s Digest or scroll through the feed of one of the many Facebook groups for writers I’ve joined. One thing I won’t do is give up.

What motivates you to reach your goals?