Its a state of mind--you do it or not. I dont feel like commuting in the morning when its cold here in Indiana, but after a few minutes of riding I feel much better about it. I lived in GA for many years and when I moved here I thought I would die from the cold and wind. Its easier now as Im getting used to it.
Dont think of it as work--think of it as an adventure! I also like not spending $ for fuel and such on the car--along with scraping windshields and warming up the car for 15 minutes, getting stuck in traffic, etc. Now I get the bike out of the garage and pedal away. A few minutes into the ride and Im warmed up and have to vent my clothes to keep from overheating. I sometimes pass poeple I work with who are stuck in traffic--I smile, wave and pedal on. The look on their faces is worth it.
The secret for me was proper layering--which put me into a better frame of mind for riding. Believe me--Hotlanta has a very mild winter compaired to the northwest area!