One productivity trick that I find very beneficial in my life is writing of the Morning Pages.
The concept of Morning Pages was introduced by Julia Cameron of The Artist’s Way fame.
It involves writing 3 pages of text by hand every morning first thing as a brain dump. The quicker it’s written the better. No time to stop or contemplate, no attention to what the words sound like or look like on the page- none of that.
Because it’s not about the writing itself, although this practice would not exist without the act of writing.
But it is more of a psychological tool that Julia Cameron says is to clear the brain of all its thoughts and ideas and blockages, so its free to take on the day with creativity and presence. Ok, not her words but mine. But based on what I’ve read that is what I understood.
So it’s not about how I write, it’s about my thoughts.
It’s not about the words, it’s about what’s inside my brain that needs sorting out and processed.
I have been doing this practice on and off for years. It gets broken off at times in the busyness of life, but somehow it always makes an appearance again. And whenever it does, I am thankful for it. I feel the clarity in my thoughts and my day whenever I do start keeping the habit and ritual of it.
So how does it help me?
Here is my list of benefits:
It is a planning and productivity tool
Just the act of continuously writing out all I have to do, I come up with a list of every detail of my life I need to take care of that day, and then plan out how to go about them, and where to fit them in my day.
It helps me keep on top of things that I have on my plate and clarifies my path towards getting them done.
It helps me be more productive than I would be otherwise.
It is a problem solver
Me having a conversation with myself about a dilemma or a problem to be solved on paper helps.
It helps me see the practicalities of my choices, it helps me figure out what my heart truly wants.
It helps me make decisions.
The time I take to write out my words describing a problem, and the choices associated with it helps me uncover the best solution for me. My thoughts laid out in front of me in written words makes the problem seem manageable and simpler.
Inside the brain they are all muddled up and harder to sort though.
An example would be when recently I was trying to figure out whether or not to apply for an art show that I thought would be perfect for me, but was in the middle or a lot of busyness of life and work. I talked to myself through my Morning Pages and realized how I valued my peace of mind and slowness of pace more than being everywhere and getting to every opportunity that came my way. That hustling is not for me. That I would rather enjoy the opportunity I had already signed up for than try to fit in one more at the same time and feel frazzled.
It is a connection with myself first thing in the morning
Me having unadulterated conversations with myself about my life, thoughts, desires, without any input from anything or anyone…
It sure is peaceful, it’s soothing, it’s clarifying.
I know who I am.
I know that however busy life is, or crazy the situation or day, I will have time to reconnect to myself authentically.
I feel grounded and connected after every session of writing.
It helps me weave my dreams and desires
Since I know no one is ever going to read my words, including me myself, and the fact that I write very fast without censoring my thoughts or words, what I truly feel about everything comes out. All that I want out of life in the moment, in the near future, or even in the distant future- I can write. I can design my life as I want. I can dream about what I want to achieve. And it all comes from my the depths of me unadulterated. It helps me make the life that I want.
It is a ritual
I lay out my notebook next to my bed every night so I don’t have to look for it every morning in the dark. I just pick it up, leave my bedroom and get to writing.
Before anyone else is up.
Before I start working on my day.
Just me in the quiet of the morning.
Having this practice to look forward to gives me the incentive to get out of bed without friction and negotiation.
I don’t think whether I want to write. I just write. And then start the day.
Having put this practice at the very start of my morning has made sure that I’ve written every day for the past 97 days. I am looking forward to getting to 100 on Friday, and celebrating it 🙂
This time around I want a really long streak.
Every time I pick up this practice I can see it’s value in my life more pronounced. And so, I really mean to keep going.
Yes, I may have to miss a day here or there if I have a super early start to my day, but I will give myself the grace to miss that day without guilt, but pick it up once again the next day. Without having the rigidity of always or never, I plan to keep this practice for life.
Because it’s that life-altering…in all the great ways.
And once I finish a notebook, it goes straight in the recycling bin.
With thanks.
My writing has already done for me all I needed from it just from the act of having shown up and done what I needed out of it in the moment.
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