THREE TIPS for your 2010 journey to becoming and staying an irrepressible writer:
1.Find comfort with your feelings.
Feelings are transient, but significant: what you think affects how you feel. Welcome feelings without judgment, but work to create more positive emotions by challenging irrational or prolonged negative emotions. If you don’t judge them, feelings tend to come and go.
2.Dream big but plan small. Dreams are magnificent. Dreams are crucial. But within a dream, succeeding at even tiny goals and tasks remind you that you are working hard to reach your dream.
For me, a small accomplishment pays more emotional dividends than a big goal that overwhelms and therefore stays unfinished. The positive 
emotion derived from the tiniest success begets energy, productivity and creativity – and may well motivate you to do more.
During difficult times, emotional or otherwise, writing or other-life related, when you feel distracted or blocked about a big project, you may still be able to accomplish a tiny, writing-related goal. I rely on tiny tasks (related or unrelated to my writing) to move me from a difficult emotional place to a more positive state of mind.
If a task you set for yourself, no matter how small, begins to feel overwhelming, make the task tinier. It’s the accomplishment of something that motivates.
3.Reach Out For Help, Reach Out To Help. It’s a comfort and help to have a friend, colleague or group you can reach out to when something seems to be getting in the way of your writing. But think also about giving help. That may be even more important to our lives. 
When you feel needy, reaching outside yourself will tend to put your own struggle in perspective. Giving to something or someone bigger than you is one of the cornerstones of a meaningful life. You help someone; that helps you, as well.
Coming in 2010 from The Irrepressible Writer:
- Interviews with working writers detailing their specific struggles with resilience
- Real examples of how to handle “knockdowns” like jealousy, rejection, and the complex causes of writer’s block
- Tips of all kinds for building and maintaining resilience on the journey to becoming and staying an irrepressible writer
Carol,
Thanks for this inspiring post. I had a difficult year in 2009 and I found that keeping my writing task list filled with small items I could accomplish helped me feel like I wasn’t failing. Without knowing it, “dream big, but plan small” was my motto for the year. I love the way you articulated the concept in your blog – you couldn’t be more right!
Thanks to this post, I’m able to look back on last year with fondness and a feeling of accomplishment rather than focusing on the frustrating times.
Keep the inspiration coming!
Michelle
Thanks for responding, and for sharing your experience, Michelle.
Carol, I love your advice about making goals smaller in order not to feel so overwhelmed by them. Great advice!
Thanks!
Kim
Thanks, Kim!
Thanks for the great tips! I know that mood definitely affects my ability to write. It’s hard to get into the flow if I’m upset, annoyed or angry.
But I was thinking about ways to use those feelings as writing prompts. Even if you only journal about how you feel and what’s making you feel that way, it will provide some great detail you may be able to call on later. Sometimes writing emotions fora story is difficult when you’re not in that moment, so finding the words when you are can be a big help.
Thanks for sharing this, Kara.
You’re absolutely right – using your feelings as writing prompts, or even journaling about how you’re feeling, engages your brain, emotions and muscles in the act of writing.
And that’s only good!
These are great tips even for us non-writers! And welcome to the Kidlitosphere!