Many people mistakenly believe that if they don't love a task when they first try it, it's not a passion for them. However, it's difficult to love something you're terrible at. In order to find full enjoyment of a task, one must progress from being a novice to at least pretty good, if not great. It's important to be proud of incremental progress and acknowledge that everyone starts as a beginner. Instead of focusing on how much you lack, focus on how much you've improved compared to the past. Acknowledge that you are trending upward and recognize that you will continue to improve in the future.
Andy Weir is the bestselling author of The Martian and Project Hail Mary. He’s known for weaving deep, carefully researched science into his novels, building intricate sci-fi worlds that have captivated millions of readers. But here’s a plot twist: Andy doesn’t actually love the act of writing itself – so how does he motivate himself to do it anyway? Adam talks with Andy about the creative process, the skills involved in discarding bad ideas, finding joy in worldbuilding and research, and why you should never be writing with a sequel in mind. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts