I like to write six months ahead of the season and must be coerced into the mood. Writing six months ahead of the season gives you time to write, re-write and submit. Editors love this kind of thing - especially for fillers. I Hate About My Body. Don't forget to look back at your past articles and see which ones could use a follow-up.
Readers care about a topic and then wonder what happened now that a year or more has passed.
Keep an idea notebook. Personalize it any way you like. Sometimes I cut pictures out of magazines and paste them on the pages. Other times I write descriptions such as the way two children were playing sidewalk games, the way the walkers looked doing their brisk daily thirty minutes around the court house square, etc. Write anything that captures your interest.