I’m the author of many books and blogs — over 70 books and too many blog posts to count! I write a lot and I plot a lot, but one of my biggest weaknesses is not taking time to consider how to fuel my soul. There’s a lot going out, and I get drained if I’m not careful. I have to take time for myself and my dreams.
Ways I fuel my writing day:
- Reading God’s Word
- Writing a prayer in my journal
- Reading a devotional book
- Reading inspiring blogs
- Chasing my kids around
- Feeding my visual senses at Pinterest
- Listening to my favorite songs via Spotify
- Reading People.com (okay, mostly looking at the new babies)
- Doing a craft with my kids
- Reading a chapter of a novel
- Chatting with a friend
- Looking through stock photos and playing with PicMonkey
I used to think of these things as procrastination or obstacles.
But now I’ve found that when I give myself time to listen to words, to see lovely images, and to laugh and play, I’m filling up the creative fuel that allows the words to flow.
I’ve also discovered it’s important to brainstorm big ideas. Yes, writing a shopping list is planning, but at least every few weeks I like to jot down notes about “big-picture dreams.”
A few things that made it from dreams to reality:
- Taking our teens on a mission trip (turned into three trips in three years)
- Adopting (we’ve adopted seven)
- Write a book with a business guru (Ken Blanchard and I have one: Lead Your Family Like Jesus)
- Do a book-signing tour (my friend joined me)
- Go on a cruise (we’ve been on two)
- Be on the Focus on the Family Radio Program (I’ve been on several times)
- Visit the Holocaust Museum in DC
Things I’m still dreaming about …
- Have one of my novels made into a movie
- Being invited to be on the Today Show
- Living in the Czech Republic with my family for a year
- Taking a Mediterranean cruise
- Visit New York City
How about you? Do you take time to feed your creativity? Do you take time to feed your dreams?
We’ll all get burnt out if we don’t create, explore, enjoy, hug, laugh, and dream. I guarantee you’ll be more efficient with your writing work when you feed these parts of your soul!
Additional Resources
You’ve heard the phrase Trust God. It’s easy to say but can be hard to do. But what if you did it. What if you did the things that God asked you to do and solely relied on Him? Women often pack their lives with family, friends, and faithful service, yet still feel empty and unfilled. Bestselling author Tricia Goyer has been where you are. She gets it and knows that the only way to live a fulfilling life is to walk it out with God.
Walk It Out: The Radical Result of Living God’s Word One Step at a Time is a resource that teaches women how walking out the mandates of Scripture will allow God to spark passion and mission within them. Goyer teaches women, of all ages, how to:
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- Use your healed heart to love and serve
- Create space and craft purpose
- Give generously without question
- Be vulnerable
- Truly love your family
- Do the work that God has given you to do
This book is for women:
- struggling with anxiety or depression
- feeling like they lost their way and are living by comparison
- who feel like they’re never enough and always too much
- searching for ways to develop a closer relationship with God
- raising families while facing crossroads
Sometimes the steps we take in our faith are easy, but many times they require a move outside of what feels safe or secure. When women stop focusing on their own dreams and purposes, and instead focus on God’s dreams and purposes, everything changes. Get your copy of Walk It Out today!
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