This one is for you, NaNoWriMo-ers!
Did you notice, it’s that time of year again?
You know, the happiest time of year when you want to stick to your writing schedule, but along come these pesky things called “holidays,” which seem hell-bent on throwing you off your game.
Bah, humbug!
But, wait a second, maybe we should cut the holidays some slack. For one thing, it’s good for your creativity to take a break now and then. It’s also a good idea to, you know, spend time with people once in a while. Even better if these folks are the people you most enjoy spending your time.
I’ll tell you what will wreak havoc with your writing, though: making a bunch of holiday commitments that don’t honestly express how you want to spend your time. That’s a symptom of not giving yourself permission.
Therefore, if you are making choices out of guilt, obligation, or social pressure, then guess what? Welcome to your hellish holidays!
But if you give yourself permission and make your choices from a place of love-to or at least want-to, you have a really good shot at a decent holiday season and a chance to recharge your writing batteries.
And here’s a final key: no judgement. I don’t care if what you really want is to spend your holidays with your pet parrot teaching him to say things like, “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!” Go, ahead! You get to decide. This is your life, after all.
But before you decide, be sure to also take your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health into account. What does your body need? How about your mind? What would be emotionally and spiritually enriching for you? Why not choose those things?
Because here’s what will happen if you take good care of yourself over the holiday season. A miracle! Your creative energy will go up, and you just might find yourself with more time to spare for writing than you might have imagined.
All because you didn’t try to contort yourself into somebody else’s idea of what a happy holiday looks like.
Somebody should bottle this, right? And sell it!
So, yes, it’s the most wonderful time of the year again. But what makes it more wonderful is when we celebrate it with generosity, joy, and love in our hearts, not peer-pressure, judgement, or any kind of belief that there is one right way to spend the holidays.
Break free of any prisons you have previously lived inside, writers. You are allowed. Just like Motel the Taylor in Fiddler on the Roof, you are entitled to some happiness.
Really. You are.
I encourage you to express yourself authentically in every area of your life and in every area of your career, because when you do, if you conduct yourself calmly and kindly, everything else will fall into place…eventually.
And, of course, you might step on some toes in the short run. Or at least have folks shaking their heads at you, muttering about something coming over you, because you NEVER would have acted like this in 1974.
And maybe that’s right. Maybe you wouldn’t have. Yet today, you get to decide.
So, happy holidays, writers! My wish for you is all the permission you need! I hope you will spend all of your holidays happily and exactly as you wish!
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I am a veteran journalist, author and coach with over a decade and a half of experience and a wealth of techniques to share. I am focused on making the world a saner, more expressive place. I help folks become more creative for personal enjoyment, professional development and transformational growth. Whether you are a professional creative or hope to become one some day, I can help you embrace your personal strengths, explore your creative possibilities, and evolve incrementally into your most inspiring self. If you are ready to achieve creative consistency in your life and career, email me about monthly coaching calls. To learn more about increasing your creative confidence, please check out my online school. Stay tuned for ways to save money by becoming a Beta User for my next new course by subscribing to The Prosperous Creative. And don’t forget to get these blog posts delivered to your inbox, so you never miss a post. If you appreciate my work—school, products, blog and social media posts—you are welcome to make a contribution of any size at any time. Thank you for your support!