Getting back into writing is the best thing I have done thus far in 2020.
My morning writing has become the glue that holds together everything else I do.
When I write, I have an article for medium and my blog, I have a potential topic for my podcast, I have a script for my YouTube.
If you aren’t a writer—well you are, but let’s save that for another day—you can still benefit from a morning routine of writing and thinking.
So writing and thinking; what am I talking about?
Let’s dig in.
First, writing is therapeutic. And in our digital world, we all write more than we realize—a lot more. Before the Internet, most people rarely wrote anything long again leaving formal education.
For their entire lives.
That's crazy.
Today we read and write thousands of words on a weekly, even daily, basis.
The thing about technology is it is never a panacea: it comes with pros and cons.
The best way to make sure you are a user of technology, and not the other way around, is to organize your thoughts. There is no better way to do this than a morning writing/reading/thinking practice.
You could keep a traditional journal. Many people love journaling.
I’ve never been one that likes to organize my thoughts this way.
I do much better when I create lists and unleash ideas through train of thought.
This helps me brain dump the many things floating around my subconscious. As a result, I’m able to be present with my family and not work when I’m not working.
I also make better and calmer decisions.
So this is what my morning routine looks like; steal from it as you like:
1. Open Good Notes on my iPad to review my goals, ideas, projects. This gives me a bird’s eye of everything important in my life.
Next, I fire up IA writer where I do the following:
2a. Ideas area: in this area I write any ideas or tasks that come to mind for today or later.
2b. I start my daily writing, usually a short blog style post on something relating to habits, mindset, productivity, work, life, health.
Any topic I'm thinking about.
2c. I outline one piece of content.
Sometimes this is a simple title + bullet points, which I can use as a script or talking points or expand into an article or email.
3. As some point through this process, sometimes at the start, middle or end, I let flow any ideas that come to mind.
The act of thinking and writing allows for my subconscious to do its thing.
This is where all my best ideas come from. It's also helps my subconscious release the gunk.
I do this every day, without fail, and it's the first thing I do when I start working.
I look forward to this time. It’s my most creative, flowing and productive and is the glue for the rest of my work life.
If you are one that struggles with consistency, a morning routine like this can serve as a foundation.
Most people have no clue how much they could get done with a self-directed routine. This is because they’ve never had one.
Sure, we've all had jobs where we show up and follow procedures.
But how many people can be their own boss?
How few, I suspect, can create routines and stick to them, day in and out, so they can produce something great?
If that's something you want to do, I implore you to figure out a morning routine that includes some combination of writing, reading and thinking.