Bonus: Dreaming Big in 2026 – Prompts for a Creative Year with Matt & Lindsey

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Jan 29, 2026

A lively walkthrough of prompts to shape your creative year using a two-word ritual and visioning exercises. They outline steps for identifying true desire, building a project bank, and picking a focused three-month season. Practical tactics include designing a sustainable writing practice, a 30-day plan, and a concrete 48-hour first move to jumpstart momentum.

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ADVICE

Two-Word Threshold Ritual

Choose one word to bring into the year and one to leave behind as a simple threshold ritual.
Use these words as a compass on hard days to decide next steps in your writing life.

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INSIGHT

Desire Is A Useful Signal

Desire is an energetic signal pointing toward what matters, not something selfish to hide.
Listening to desire helps you prioritize amidst distraction and competing voices.

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ADVICE

Ask The Embarrassing Question

Ask honest questions like “What do I want that I'm embarrassed to say?” to surface true ambitions.
Stay with the exciting answers before negotiating them into safe, practical plans.

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Two-word threshold ritual

02:08 • 1min

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Why the two-word ritual matters

03:08 • 2min

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Hosts share their words

05:00 • 3min

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Identifying true desire

07:58 • 1min

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Reframing desire as signal

09:19 • 5min

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Hosts' creative longings

14:24 • 3min

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Vision: imagine year-end scene

17:47 • 2min

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Why a vivid vision helps

19:49 • 5min

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Moving from wanting to deciding

25:19 • 4min

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Practical decisions and boundaries

29:24 • 5min

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Building a project bank

34:35 • 6min

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Triangulating ideas with lists

40:27 • 2min

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Choosing a first-season focus

42:07 • 5min

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Designing your creative practice

47:20 • 7min

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Why rituals beat intensity

54:01 • 5min

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30-day plan and 48-hour move

58:56 • 6min

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Hosts' monthly goals and first moves

01:04:36 • 13sec

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Opening up to support

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In 'Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less,' Greg McKeown argues that by applying a more selective criteria for what is essential, individuals can regain control of their time and energy. The book is divided into sections such as Explore, Eliminate, and Execute, providing practical advice on distinguishing the vital few from the trivial many and eliminating non-essential activities. McKeown emphasizes the importance of clarity of focus, the ability to say 'no,' and living 'by design, not by default. ' This approach helps readers achieve more by doing less and making the highest possible contribution in their personal and professional lives.

London Writers’ Salon co-founder Matt Trinetti and Head of Writer Experience Lindsey Trout Hughes share prompts from our Dreaming Big in 2026: Creative Goal Setting for Writers workshop – designed to help writers get clear on what they actually want from their writing life in 2026, and translate that desire into a plan that can survive reality in the first 1-3 months of the year.

Through 8 steps – from identifying desire to committing to a 48-hour move – Matt and Lindsey step through over a dozen prompts, discuss why each is important for writers to think about, and share what’s coming up for them personally for the year ahead.

Download the free workbook: community.londonwriterssalon.com/dreamingbig

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:07) Step 0: Two Words (bringing in & leaving behind)

(08:05) Step 1: Identifying what we truly desire

(17:42) Step 2: Vision (translating desire into clear vision)

(25:18) Step 3: Moving from wanting to deciding

(34:35) Step 4: Building a project bank

(42:02) Step 5: Finding a first season focus

(47:32) Step 6: Designing your creative practice

(59:00) Step 7: Your 30-day plan & 48-hour move

(01:04:50) Step 8: Opening up to support

(01:09:40) Conclusions and next steps

You’ll learn:

A simple “two words” ritual to decide what you’re bringing into 2026 (and what you’re leaving behind).
Prompts to identify what you truly desire, including what you might feel embarrassed to say out loud.
How to reframe desire as a helpful signal instead of something “selfish” you should downplay.
How to build a project bank so you can choose one focus without feeling like you’re abandoning your other ideas.
Ways to use simple lists to spark clearer project options.
How to choose a first-season focus (a three-month container) so you’re not trying to hold the entire year at once.
The importance of defining what “done” looks like for the season and setting milestones that make progress visible.
How to design a writing practice while planning for obstacles before they derail you.
How to set a measurable 30-day goal, choose your first moves, and turn intention into proof.

About London Writers’ Salon:

London Writers’ Salon is a community and membership that helps writers make meaningful progress on their work, stay committed to a writing practice, and find creative friends around the world. Members can build consistency through Writers’ Hour, develop craft through interviews and workshops, and connect with a global community of writers.

Resources & Links:

Download the free workbook at: community.londonwriterssalon.com/dreamingbig
Join Writers’ Hour - daily silent writing sessions: writershour.com
Attend live events and workshops – Become a Member: community.londonwriterssalon.com/membership

For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.

For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.

FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON

Twitter: twitter.com/WritersSalon

Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon

Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon

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