With the New Year still fresh and fragrant with opportunity, it seems like a great time to take stock of some of the gifts – the amazing assets – we bring to the page and the creative party we’re all attending every time we sit down to write. When we think of the assets or strengths we possess, we tend to think in terms of talent or experience or contacts. But, as my wonderful friend and mentor Dr. Rob Gilbert pointed out in a recent Success Hotline, there are 10 amazing but often overlooked strengths we all have at our command anytime and anywhere. Bringing them to our creative work on a daily basis is a choice we make:

Being on Time:  “Be at the right place at the right time doing the right thing” – I have a plaque in my office, a gift from Dr. Gilbert, emblazoned with this quote from Coach Gelston, a legendary trainer. It was his only rule—and one worth following.

A Great Work Ethic:  We can bring a sense of pride, strong focus, and intention to our writing sessions, whenever we launch into one. A great work ethic can help us climb mountains and leap over tall buildings. It can make all the difference.

Extra Effort:  Whenever we sit down to create, we can go the extra mile: We can ut in a little more time, we can rework a sentence one more time until it really sparkles, we can pick up that craft guide we’ve been meaning to read and do it.

Proper Body Language:  When we’re at our desk or wherever we’re working, we can sit u straight and strong; we can take frequent breaks to keep ourselves fresh and focused; we can take a quick walk to get some air and keep our bodies alert and attentive.

Energy:  Energy is fuel and we need it to be mentally sharp and to nourish our stamina. We can be sure we get enough rest and eat well so we can fuel ourselves physically and mentally. We can act energetic and create the energy we need.

Passion:  Passion is fuel, too. We can bring excitement and joy and a sense of aliveness to our work. When we’re passionate about what we’re doing, new ideas and ways of expressing ourselves arise spontaneously.

Being Coachable:  We can keep on learning and growing. We can kee on honing our craft by reading wonderful stories, analyzing writing we love, poring over craft guides that give us clues to improve ourselves, and finding mentors.

A “Growth” Mindset:  Let’s surpass ourselves! Let’s push past our self-imposed limits, and crash through barriers that we’ve erected out of our own doubts. When we get out of our comfort zones and think bigger, great things happen. Who says we can’t do it?

Being Prepared:  We can bring a sense of organization and purpose to our day. We can approach our work like professionals, not amateurs. We can get inside it quickly and efficiently without squandering our precious time.

A Great Attitude:  Whenever we sit down to work, we can bring our “A Game” – a positive, can-do mindset that will help us make our work sessions productive and move us stedily towards our goals. We can bring a winning attitude to our work.

Wow, with these 10 assets in play, we’ll be unstoppable as we all write on!