Nothing helps you beat the “baby it’s cold outside” winter blues like dreaming of the sands of sunny Florida beaches. I mean, just think about it… right now. Yes, now. Warm, fine, white sand sifting between your toes. Ahhhh…
For someone like me who doesn’t particularly care for sand between my anything, that would seem more like a nightmare than a warm dream. But, as a writer, you can always dream warmly regarding your prose and your career.
Regardless of where you are on your journey, you turn up the heat of your imagination and dream yourself right into being a New York Times Best Seller. Just close your eyes and dream. It’s really easy and one of the quickest ways to blast the winter blues.
Here are a few ways to do just that.
Dream without limits. Yes, really. Reality will sink in soon enough but right now, dream really, really big. Movies from your books. Insane royalties. Billions of fans. A secluded cabin in the mountains where you create your dozens of compelling novels.
Remember it’s temporary. If you’re feeling the frigid cold of your writing winter, remind yourself that this, too, shall pass. It always does. After all, it is a season. Bundle up and count the days. Your spring will be here before you know it.
Install the swimming pool now! There is no time to get a better deal on an in-ground swimming pool than when it’s too cold to swim in it. Trust me on this. Likewise, there is no greater time to cash in on your own writing career than during your winter. You’ll get the jump on your career. Your personal cost will be less during your winter.
Get a snow blower. Don’t be like the neighbor who is still shoveling snow. Stop making it hard on yourself. Get the writer’s snow blower. Grab books and other tools on craft and turn them on high! You’ll clear the path to your success as a writer quicker than you think.
Winter is a wonderland or a prison camp. But, it needn’t be. You have control over how you think about it. It’s up to you. Whether you’re physically in the frozen tundra or it’s your story that’s grown ice cold, make the best of it. You might not be able to change the weather, but you sure have complete control over how you use it to your advantage!
What about you? What are you going through? How cold are you? Share it here.
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Reba J. Hoffman is a natural encourager and Member Care Coach at My Book Therapy. She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Counseling and is the founder of Magellan Life Coaching (www.magellanlifecoaching.com). She is the author of Dare to Dream, a Writer’s Journal published by My Book Therapy. She also publishes a motivational and encouraging blog, FindingTrue North. Contact Reba at reba@magellanlifecoaching.com.
Comments 1
I’m so cold I don’t remember what it feels like to be warm. 🙂 Not only is this a time of waiting — a publisher has my novel and I can’t submit it anywhere else until I hear from them — but I’m three-years unemployed and struggling to find enough work to get by financially. I also want/need to move but I don’t know where. Ack!
Fortunately, it IS temporary. I’m supposed to hear from the publisher this month and my landlords are selling my apartment so I WILL have to move sometime soon. I just need to be patient, seek God’s will and keep pursuing new ideas and big dreams.
By the way, I’m with you, Reba: not a fan of sand. I like warmth. I like water. I like summer. But a hot, sandy beach is not my idea of fun. My family goes to the Outer Banks almost every June and I always prefer the pool to the beach.