It may seem a bit paradoxical that one of the best ways to sustain your writing habits during the holidays is to reduce your commitments to them. Commit to less, accomplish more.

Years ago, before I understood the nature of writer’s resistance, I thought I should be able to log hours and hours of writing during holidays and vacations. Of course, I never lived up to those expectations, which increased my resistance along with my self-doubt.

One of the watershed moments that helped me transition from frustrated wanna-be to professional writer was recognizing that writing is something I need to make time for every weekday, aka every workday. Writing would no longer be something I’d try – and fail – to squeeze in and therefore feel guilty about never doing enough of.

(Note: Professional is not the only alternative to frustrated wanna-be; plenty of writers who wouldn’t consider themselves professional…