My journaling ritual is very simple, but it works. I get my coffee maker ready at night before I go to bed. I open my journal and put it on the kitchen table with my pen.
In the morning, I get up as soon as I first wake up. I push the button on the coffee pot, pee, let the dog out, and sit at the kitchen table, where the journal is ready for me. I sit and write while the coffee brews, and finish up while I drink it.
Morning is my favorite time to write. My mind is fresh, I think well, my dreams are still alive. I write until I feel I’m done. Sometimes I go on for an hour, sometimes the garden or a fresh snowfall calls me outside.
I’ve tried writing at night, getting into bed to write about the day. It’s a good time for a wealth of information and emotions to spew forth, but more often than not, I was just too tired. Mornings are most productive for me.
For those of you who already write, you probably have a ritual. If you’re just starting out, experiment. Write in the morning, write in the evening, write in the middle of the day, indoors, outdoors, quiet places, noisy places. The point of creating a ritual is to get you to write regularly!
Go to a cafe every Saturday morning.
Light some candles. (photo: flickr alykat)
Turn on some inspiring music.
Write with friends once a week.
Write in a hot bath.
Go for a walk before you write. Or reward yourself with a walk when you’re done.
Set up your writing area before you write.
Again, find what works for you, because journaling is very subjective. It’s for you, so make it for you. Make journaling a regular ceremony that will make you feel safe and entice you to write deeply.
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