Like the January, February, and March 2011 tips that were devoted to nurturing your inner writer, the first few tips of 2012 are following suit… and then we’ll get back to more skill-based advice. For now, start the year by getting into the right head space—or as they say, by ‘getting into the zone.’

And there you have it—our fist similarity between mastering writing and healthy living. For athletes, getting into the zone means total focus—think Andree Agassi before he makes the winning serve—time stands still, it’s just him and the ball. Sound familiar? For we writers, that’s ‘flow.’ Hopefully you know it well, it’s when you are fully immersed in your writing filled with energy and concentration. Time flies by and often it’s difficult to concretely remember forming the thoughts you crafted on the page. It’s as if an alien—a lean, mean writing machine alien—inhabited your body and took over full throttle.

Whether in sports or writing, flow is definitely a beautiful thing, however, it can be elusive.  While trying to live a healthy lifestyle some days are better than others. The key is to keep working at it, day in, day out, keep plugging along. Similarly with writing, sometimes you will experience long stretches of flow, whereas, other times you will experience ‘full stop.’  Instead of beating yourself up, change your mindset. Recognize that whether related to healthy living or writing—mastery isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon of discipline, determination, faith, and focus.

What else do writing and healthy living have in common?

They go hand in hand

Of course, writing conjures up images of the creative soul who wanders happily through life while an abundance of perfectly strung words flow effortlessly from his mouth (…not to mention the self-medicating creative genius who uses alcohol or other substances to supposedly keep the creative juices flowing… think Hemingway… think Fitzgerald… think Joyce). However, as all of us who write for a living know all too well, this depiction couldn’t be further from reality.

The fact is, writing takes some serious mental energy. This is where the healthy living comes into play and although fueling your brain with healthy food and getting enough exercise are important, the real kicker is sleep. Turns out that sleep deprivation can lead to:

• Increased blood pressure
• Higher risk of heart disease
• Difficulty maintaining a healthy body weight
• Increased diabetes risk

And, most importantly where writing is concerned, lack of sleep decreases concentration and response time while increasing stress. Sleep is critical for literally re-charging the brain and it is when we categorize and reorganize information so we are actually working while we sleep. To improve your writing in 2012, instead of working longer, work smarter—by sleeping more.

Aiming for a good night’s sleep will do more for your writing than countless hours at your desk.

Easier said than done, but remember, just take one night at a time.

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