1. Wrap yourself up in a new project. Immerse yourself in a new fictitious world.
2. Pray.
3. Exercise.
4. Spend time with your family. Laugh. cuddle. Play.
5. Get lost in a book.
6. Think positively.
7. Stay focused on your goals.
8. Read scripture. There’s loads in the Bible about waiting.
9. Don’t buy brownie mix.
10. Don’t buy a 12 pack of Diet Coke.
When I was younger, my mom always used to say, “Don’t wish your life away.” How true are those words? Once, I got a critique back and the person said, “Make every word count!” I couldn’t help but think how applicable this is in life. We should strive to make every minute count. How we live our life while we wait says a lot about who we are.
Today, I’m going to choose to delight in my waiting, because let’s face it, waiting is a part of life.
Question to Ponder: What healthy things do you do while you wait for your dreams to come true?
Great advice. I'm in a waiting stage of life right now. 🙂
Last Friday Kathryn Neff Perry wrote about everything having it's time and I recalled a favourite verse, "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart" (Ps. 27:14). Waiting is so hard, but I like your list–I think you've got it under control.
Great list, except for 9. Brownies help you wait. Haven't you read that Scripture?
I like to garden. Pulling weeds relieves stress. In the winter when I can't garden, I bake. That's theraputic too.
No brownies? 🙁
I rearrange furniture while waiting. Usually ends up back where it started.
But brownies and diet coke go so well together! Particularly after everyone's in bed and I can sit and enjoy them, savoring every bite and drink.
While waiting? I read and blog, and read some more.
No Diet Coke, but Diet Dr. Pepper is a must. Oh, and chocolate. (Dark chocolate is healthy, right????) 🙂
*sigh* This is all so true!!! Well, like Jessica, I dont' care for the last two… oh wait, that's just #9. I buy a TWENTY four pack of NON-diet coke, so THERE! *grin*
Seriously… I'm getting better at this, because I'm getting wrapped up in my new stories and am BUSY BUSY. It's managing it all that is making me want to pull my hair out some days!!! Oh sanity, where for art thou!
Thank you for the great and sound advice. Your mom sounds like she has her head on straight as well. Waiting truly is the hardest part. I even sent a follow up to my prospective agent and now I'm waiting on that. The madness never ends.
Read!!! It's become a new addiction 🙂
um…what do i do while i wait? worry. read. write. blog. church. job–oh, wait. no. uh…worry. read. write. blog. racquetball.
some sort of variation of the above.
jeannie
Where Romance Meets Therapy
Great job on the healthy list. I guess my favorite waiting activity is lots of exercise. That way I am too tired to hold an anxious thought in my head.
Can I respectfully disagree with numbers 9 and 10? LOL Last night I was waiting and waiting for my hubby to get off the computer so I could watch House, and while waiting, I had the brilliant idea to make cookie dough. *smirk* Time well spent. Maybe. LOL
This is a great list and I like the emphasis on prayer and bible reading because those are things I forget to do, and they're the absolute most important!
Yay! Great post!
All the things you listed are great ways to keep your mind off the fact that you're waiting. I think I've tried most of them, except the one about not buying the Diet Coke. 🙂
I keep moving forward. Having a routine helps a lot!
They say time flies when you're having fun. It also flies when you're busy. You've got a great list of things to keep busy with – and, before you know it, the waiting will be over.
On the plus side, if for some reason the answer isn't quite what you were hoping for, you'll be deep into another project that you're excited about. Plus you'll have the spriritual and emotional strength to process the disappointment.
But, boycotting brownies? I'm not sold on that one. 🙂
But brownies are yummy!!
Praying you'll hear back soon 🙂
Definitely exercise and reading is a great way to help the waiting process. A few prayers don't hurt either.
Great list. I'm all about the Diet Coke, though 😀 While I'm waiting, I'm throwing myself into new projects. This includes updating my blog and Web site, outlining new plots and trying to make progress on my WIP.
As far as praying–yes, I've been doing that, too! And trying to spend extra time with my family that I didn't feel like I had before.
Blog.
🙂
The only one I'm not in agreement w/ is #9. 😀
I do a lot of #4 when I wait and am currently doing #1.
Fun lists, Katie!
~ Wendy
Katie, I love the list!
Normally what I do while I wait is agonize. But like you, today I will just wait. I am especially in prayer about the projects I am working on, and the direction that God has.
Blessings to you…
I LOVED that song at the conference too! What a great suggestion from Eileen! And I naturally lean toward immersing myself in the next project. Then I find fresh hope that my new book WILL be better! And think about how much God is teaching and shaping us through the waiting process!
I try to move on to the next project, but sometimes I get stalewarted (Is that a word?) Right now we've endured nearly two weeks straight of rain so my initial high after conference has stalled and depression is threatening. I need some natural vitamin D–Sunlight!!!
Remember that first song at conference? While I'm Waiting by John Waller. Look that one up on the web and listen to it again. I've loved that song since Fireproof came out and it is so applicable to us writers. I have it loaded on my van's player and listen to it every time I'm in the car.