I Wrote Morning Pages (Almost) Every Day for a Month. Here’s What I Learned.

What’s the very FIRST thing you do when you wake up??Tell the truth!?Are you immediately reaching for your phone to check emails, social media notifications, and the latest news? Or are you part of the 5 a.m. club, sweating it out in the gym?

Honestly, I used to do the former. After silencing my alarm, I'd open the LinkedIn App to tick the boxes:

• Create a carousel for the day,
• Post it with the caption I'd written the previous Sunday,
• Engage with at least five other creators.

The decision to start my day with LinkedIn was influenced by a concept from Brian Tracy's bestseller, 'Eat that Frog!' Brian Tracy champions starting your day with your most important task. In the introductory chapter, Tracy writes: "The key to reaching high levels of performance and productivity is to develop the lifelong habit of tackling your major task first thing each morning."

"You must develop a routine of "eating your frog" before you do anything else and without taking too much time to think about it" - Brian Tracy

It worked; I quickly checked off the boxes and felt accomplished. My LinkedIn account also hit momentum, with the algorithm giving me thousands (even tens of thousands) of views, leading to some of my biggest sales last year.

It was brilliant, but starting my day with work before I'd even left the covers wasn't scaleable or sustainable.

Who wants to work first thing in the morning, right?

So, I decided to try something different: morning pages. It's a simple practice that entails writing three consecutive pages (or 750 words) of stream-of-consciousness.?No editing, no overthinking. Just writing what comes to mind first thing in the morning. Oh, and no computer or found - we use old-school tech to do this (a journal and pen).

Morning Pages is an activity created by author Julia Cameron in her book, 'The Artist's Way.' She believes this technique can help you unload your head and organize your thoughts. It's an exercise I diligently practiced during my undergrad. Back then, it made me feel kwai (cool), like I was part of a secret club of creatives. I even had a special journal dedicated to my morning pages.

But after college, life happened; and the practice slowly faded away.

Last December, I decided to bring it back into my routine. After a month of writing morning pages, here are the lessons I've learned:

1. Done Is Better Than Perfect.

Morning pages are not about the QUALITY of words. There were mornings when I wrote, "Blank, my mind is blank," several times until something else came to mind.

2. I’m a Lot More Honest With Myself.

Writing for three pages straight encouraged me to check in with things bothering me. It helped me process and reflect on things I was avoiding, allowing for clarity. I also noticed thought patterns I was spending way too much time on.

3. Take a Moment To Reflect on the Day Ahead.

In dance, we learned to map out a routine before any performance mentally. You'd talk yourself through every detail. The same applies to our daily activities. Writing morning pages allowed me to map the day's top tasks and prioritize them.

At the end of my experiment, I felt grateful for having taken a step back and given myself that space to reflect.

4. It’s an Excellent Accountability Tool.

I had a few days where I thought, "Eh, I'll do it tomorrow." But then I'd look back and realize I'd skipped out on it the past two days. Practicing discipline in the morning allowed me to carry that mindset throughout the day.

5. Cultivate Space to Fuel Creativity

On 11 December 2022, I wrote, "I'm out of practice. My creative practice has left the building. I remember how I used to fuel my creative bottle or engine all the time. It was like a ritual. having notebooks everywhere. Using every spare moment or long drive to write and practice... I need that now. In this season, I need that 21-year-old reading Julia Cameron, attending improv classes, and writing in her notebook."

As a professional writer, I've let my writing become a commodity. One I only access when there is something to be sold or produced. I rarely make space to write just because - except for texts to a friend or two who experience glimpses of just-for-me spontaneous expressions of creative writing.

Creating Sacred Spaces

Sacred spaces to create is essential for creative entrepreneurs. It's so easy to fall into the trap of creating only when there's a job or a post to be published. It can leave creatives feeling drained, burnt out, and unable to produce work they're proud of. Morning Pages was a wake up call. It reminded me of the importance of making space and time to experiment and play.

Now, I still eat my frogs. Brian Tracy's principles work; they've tremendously impacted my life and business. Implementing Eat That Frog's time management tactics helped me 4x my revenue and productivity in 2023. Still, there's something to be said for honoring sacred spaces in your life. The time between me opening my eyes to finally getting all zhuzhed for the day is a sacred space to be, to set my intentions, and prepare mentally, physically, emotionally, and creatively for the day.

Did this blog post spark a new idea or offer a fresh perspective?

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