I was listening to a webcast on becoming a successful author. The instructor was saying that a mistake aspiring writers make frequently is to say they "want to be a writer" or they "want to write something someday" – rather than saying "I am a writer." He said that subtle distinction prevents many of them from becoming the author that they wish to be.
So in the spirit of all this, when someone today learned of a recent transition I will be making in the near future and they asked what I will be doing with my extra time, I said, "I am going to write."
It made it more real.
Because, though I have never published anything (YET), still, I AM a writer. : )