I don't usually expand upon my most important lesson of the last year, but I'm going to today because it's so simple and making a big difference in my life.
Write, I tell you. Just write.
Approximately 35 years after I first picked up a crayon and made an A, I believe writing daily has become the most important habit I’ve developed in my life. Here I am, approximately halfway through the big show and I'm just now beginning to understand the superpowers of writing.
I'm not talking about writing publicly, which I also believe is a healthy exercise, or I wouldn't be writing this today. I'm talking about writing privately, or journaling, every single day. This process holds its own magic — and different magic —than the public version. It provides a framework for recognizing, organizing, and expressing what matters most: your thoughts.
Here’s why and how I write daily:
It's good for you.
Our words guide our minds. The power of our words hitting the page has science-backed benefits we're only now beginning to understand. (Here's another favorite link for good measure.) I've experienced many of these benefits in my own life and I believe you will too. I can literally write myself into a better mindset for the day ahead and this alone makes it all worthwhile.
It's simple.
Writing is simple. Think of it as walking for your mind. Nearly anyone can afford it, and anyone can do it anywhere at any time. You don't have to write for very long to see the health benefits. I've experienced relief, joy, and all the other feels in just five minutes of journaling. I've had similar experiences from a five-minute walks. Write short, write long, just write.
Keep it small.
I write in Field Notes because they're small in size. The small size means they can go anywhere, anytime. One of my most memorable journaling sessions occurred on the hood of the truck, down a coastal logging road, an hour’s drive from the nearest cell signal and maybe even human being. Their size also makes them feel less important, which removes perfection barriers. I'm not writing the Holy Bible; I'm just trying to understand, organize and express the junk bouncing around between my ears. A small notebook helps with this process.
Keep it short.
I write in Field Notes because they're only 48 pages long. I've filled the pages of more than 20 of these notebooks in the past year, giving me a sense of progress. Furthermore, turning over a new journal allows me to restore my values on a regular cadence. At the end of one journal, I reflect on the journey I made and highlight what I've learned over this time. At the beginning of the next journal, I rewrite my favorite quotes, what I believe, the values I want to live by, and what I want to achieve over the journal's life. If my journals lasted a year, I'd miss this opportunity for frequent review.
Write in the morning.
I try to write first thing every morning. I consider it mobility for the mind. Just as I stretch to wake up my body, my morning pencil and paper awakens my mind. It also starts my day with instant progress; other projects may have stalled, but I know I've started each day with a task completed. I also believe it sets my mind on the right path for a day of focused and creative work. I finished my journal session this morning as follows: "I start each day writing to get my mind right. I believe if your mind isn't right, it's hard to get anything else right. And the best way to get your mind right is to write."
Do it your way.
We're all unique and so is our writing. Find what works best for you and do that. For me, my process includes two components: 1) gratitudes and 2) freestyle. The gratitudes are simple: The things I once failed to notice or took for granted. The river flowing nearby, the sun shining on my back, Chimmy sleeping at my feet. The freestyle portion of my writing session has no boundaries. None. Recent examples include something or someone creating anxiety, which pen or pencil improves my writing, my idea of how best to handle Covid, and how short life is. The only rule for the freestyle is there are no rules. Anything goes. Let it fly and enjoy the freedom it provides.
Make it awesome.
I love to fish so I tend to exaggerate the stories I tell. My journal is much the same. I don't write "Hot Coffee" as a gratitude. I write: "The smell of freshly ground hot coffee in the morning, steam rising from the cup and reflecting early light of a new day." I'm not trying to be Robert Frost but I just made a boring cup of coffee awesome. I bet I could make McDonald's coffee taste good if I sat down and wrote about it for a while.
Write for relationships.
In recent years, I've made relationships a priority. Like writing, I took them for granted and now realize their vital role in my life. The more I write about my relationships, the richer these experiences become. I've even started a new practice of writing the qualities of each person I'll be spending time with soon. If it's a couple, I'll write about each individually, and then write about them together. Guess what? These are the qualities that shine the brightest when we finally cross paths.
Write the bad stuff too.
Thus far, this may sound like a bunch of “woo woo” positive fluff, but I write the bad stuff too. It's not all rainbows and butterflies over here. The deep, dark, demons hit the pages. I've learned journaling is an excellent tool to recognize and cope with emotions. It's much, much better than taking your frustration out on an innocent object or a living being. Just let the pen and paper have it and you'll walk away feeling better.
So that's how I do it, but this isn't about me. It's about you.
And I think you need to write.
Let’s GO!