By Joyce Dunaway @DunawayJoyce

Children get so excited as they anticipate the celebration of Christmas or their birthday. They talk about it for weeks before the actual event—what gifts they want, who they want to share the day with, what food they want. My son would start talking about his Halloween costume the first of September. I had to tell him we wouldn’t discuss it until the first of October to keep him from obsessing about it.

As adults we also anticipate upcoming activities—weddings, births of our children or grandchildren, vacations, promotions, getting together with family and friends, eating out, going to a movie. Each activity may have different levels of excitement, but they all give us something to look forward to—and that is important for our mental health. Sometimes our lives become so routine we need a joyous occasion to celebrate.

As writers we anticipate getting an agent, signing a contract with a publisher, winning awards, or attending conferences. Visualizing these milestones helps us keep going when the work gets hard or when we receive rejections.

Following are some tips on how to add extra excitement to your life:

DISPLAY VISUAL REMINDERS

Find photos of something you’re looking forward to and post them in your house, car, office—wherever they will give you a smile when you think about the upcoming event. I took the cover off a book and designed one for my manuscript including the name of my book, the author’s name, the back cover information, and endorsements. I even included my photo and short bio.

RESEARCH

As a writer, you could research the conferences you’d like to attend, the agencies you’d like to send your manuscript to, and the publishing company you hope will accept your novel. You could do this even if you’re just getting started on a manuscript, article, devotion, or Bible study. By finding out early what each agent or publisher wants could save you a lot of time and frustration—keeping you from submitting something that they’re not interested in publishing.

GET ADVICE

It usually helps to read blogs, listen to podcasts, or attend writing conferences to meet other authors who’ve succeeded. At all the conferences I’ve attended published authors have gladly shared their experiences—the ups and down of the publishing industry. Seeing what it took for them to accomplish their goals will encourage us on our journey.

CELEBRATE

When we take our big goal and break it into small goals, we can celebrate the accomplishment of each step. By deciding ahead of time how we’ll celebrate gives us something specific to look forward to. It could be as simple as eating ice cream, getting a manicure, reading, or watching a movie. Also decide how you’ll celebrate when you complete your major goal—have a party in person or virtually, buy a new outfit, or go on a trip. It’s best to choose something that would keep you excited enough to finish the job.

STEP OUT IN FAITH

As a perfectionist, I’m often afraid to hit the send button on the computer for fear my work is not good enough. Although it’s important to do the best we can, at some point we have to take that leap of faith—trusting that God knows what the outcome will be. If it’s no, then continue to submit because your dream will eventually happen if you persevere.

I would love to hear how you add excitement to your life. Please share your thoughts in the section below.