One of my very best friends is a guy named Eric Elder. He is a musician, author, and creative genius who runs TheRanch.org. A few years ago, we were on a call and he showed me how he stays motivated to finish the books he starts writing.

Then, he held up another person’s book, and to the front of it, he had taped a mock-up of a cover for the book he was writing. He already knew in advance the print size of the book, so he made sure to choose another print book of the same size.

I thought this was a genius idea and have been doing the same thing ever since. Anytime I’m working on a book, I always have the cover designed as early in the process as I can. Then I find another print book of the same size, tape a printout of the cover to the front, and keep it on my desk during the whole writing and publishing process.

This helps make the book tangible and real, instead of a file that just lives on your computer. It also helps you make it through the rough spots in the writing and editing. When you keep the vision of the final product clear and it’s sitting on your desk, you will feel much more motivated to keep going.

Daily Question: If you are working on a book project, do you have the cover designed yet? Have you printed it out and attached it to another book of the same size to keep your vision clear?

By the way, you can find out more about Eric Elder and his books, music, and more by visiting TheRanch.org.