It's March, and any enthusiasm you may have had for a ‘new year, new you’ has likely disappeared; the majority of your new year's resolutions have fallen by the wayside and yet the ghostly spectre of winter is still hanging over your head. This is not the best recipe for getting – and staying – inspired.
World Book Day on Thursday 7 March was the biggest celebration of its kind anywhere, and was also the perfect excuse for curling up with a good book. World Book Day is so important, precisely because of its community element: it brings together publishers, readers, libraries, schools and bookshops, celebrating the biggest book show on Earth. To maintain your reading momentum, why not find out where your local bookshop is situated and see what events are happening in your area?
This year, International Women’s Day, on Friday 8 March, centred on the theme of ‘momentum’ and offered us a good opportunity to look forward and answer the question ‘How can we keep up our momentum this year in the things that we do?’ This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Emily Wilding Davison, the suffragette best known for her tragic demise following the events of the Epsom Derby on 4 June 1913. Emily’s death is a key event in both women’s suffrage and British political history, and the anniversary is an ideal opportunity to look back at both what has been achieved so far throughout women’s history, but also to provide the momentum and impetus for the changes that still need to take place.
Clearly, using special dates and anniversaries can be a powerful motivational tool and can provide the push that is needed to complete your goals. Lent is another calendar event that can be ‘hijacked’ for motivational purposes. This article in Huffington Post’s religion section examines why people give things up for Lent and has some interesting suggestions for things to give up this year. However, even if you're not religious, Lent can be a good excuse not just to give something up, but to take on something extra, or set yourself a goal. Forty days and forty nights is a long time to give up chocolate but maybe it's just the right length of time to start that book you've been meaning to write, or maybe you have some old photos hidden away that need sorting through? Lent is the perfect time to knuckle down and add some flesh to the bones of that project you have been working on (or putting off!).
The History Press is certainly working on some big projects at the moment. With the launch of our new website and an exciting new newsletter, we are changing how we publish our books and also how we communicate with you, our subscriber. As with all new projects, enthusiasm is at an all-time high and ideas are flying around the office. Structure and planning is essential but not very exciting. The difficulty can arise when trying to maintain enthusiasm beyond the first flush of interest, and so we asked our authors how they maintain their enthusiasm when researching and writing their books.We have condensed their experience into 12 top tips on staying motivated and maintaining momentum, which are perfect for getting you started on that project that you have been avoiding.
Plus, if you are looking for a healthy foodie boost to help you stay inspired, check out this delicious oaty cookie recipe for a ridiculously simple and delicious snack. We also want to hear from you and we are asking you, what do you want to see?
What did we do well in our firstset of articles and what can we improve for next time? Comment on this post or send us an email and tell us your thoughts, and we can ensure that our newsletter is both interesting and thought-provoking.
Further reading:
• Women’s history category (THP)
• Emily Wilding Davison: A Suffragette's Family Album (THP, May 2013)
• The Suffragettes: A Pictorial History
• BBC: A suffragette describes her actions
• Writing Motivation – Inspiration and motivation for writers