Whether you’re writing the great American novel or simply working on a short story, any artistic undertaking requires huge amounts of emotional and mental energy. That’s why it’s so important to recharge your creative batteries. Daydreaming – setting yourself adrift in a sea of desire with no real goal in sight may not seem like an especially useful activity, but it is. Giving free rein to the playful, wishful side of your imagination isn’t just a great stress reliever, it can also lead you to some wonderful new ideas. So, why not create your own fantasy island by taking some quiet time each day – at least 10 minutes or so – to indulge in a mental mini-vacation?

Fantasizing isn’t the same as having a vision or visualizing. Visualizing is very goal oriented – it’s an effort to control events. Fantasizing is the exact opposite. It’s a tool designed to free you from the pressure of trying to control outcomes or reach for predetermined goals.

When you fantasize and daydream, you’re engaging in an open-ended voyage of discovery: you have no goal to confine you, not limits to your imagined success, no signposts to follow. Instead, you’re freeing yourself to go where your imagination takes you and expanding your horizons. Yes, you are doing this with intent and purpose – to energize yourself and tap your creative powers. But you are doing it without a specific goal or direction in mind to inhibit you.

Give yourself permission to be wildly successful! Remind yourself why you’re why you’re writing and what you want from all the effort you’re expending: rekindle the desire that motivates you to keep working day after day. Let yourself go and give wings to your wildest dreams! After all, who’s stopping you? Do you see yourself writing in a space that’s very different from where you are now? Forget about today, just kick back and enjoy imagining the most beautiful, luxurious, workspace possible. The sky’s the limit!