Morning Moment #001: A Daily Practice
Yesterday morning, I thought to myself how much I enjoyed waking up before the rest of New York City- Brooklyn, to be exact. I’m up a little before 6 am. I slip out of bed and gather my things: my laptop, my journal, my water jug, and my phone. Walking from my bedroom, I leave two items behind on my dining room table as I go outside on my balcony. I sit in my rocking chair, take a sip of water, pull out my journal, and start writing.
I enjoy early Monday mornings. They give me time to re-incorporate myself into the world and the work week. There’s a peacefulness; there’s no traffic on the roads yet, and nobody is out and about. There’s a dull roar-like hum in the distance, and I never quite know where it’s coming from. I sit and watch the birds flit around, chatting with each other; hawks swoop down from their perches, and dragonflies cut through the sky. Tuesdays are my busiest days, but I keep the same morning routine so I can be grounded as I slide into back-to-back meetings. Wednesdays are a short disruption because it’s an in-office day. My weekends are especially slow, so I get in some reading alongside journaling, especially if I’m not rushing to get to my bi-weekly acupuncture appointment.
A few weeks ago, I spoke to a colleague about cursive no longer being part of the school curriculum. They said they enjoy writing cursive because it’s useful for journaling every morning. I asked them if they’d ever heard of “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron, and we quickly got on the topic of morning pages.
I have tried and failed many times to keep up with morning pages. I’m on the verge of failing again because I feel like I should be writing them in bed with thoughts fresh in my mind. Instead, I opt to sit outside, blink, and think. Some days, I skip them all together. Or the next day, I write endless paragraphs to make up for the days before. But they get done eventually, and I always feel refreshed. My morning pages give me a place to dump everything so I don’t carry it throughout the day. Sometimes, I find myself scribbling throughout the day either way, the things I don’t want to carry anymore. I’m glad that I’ve gotten back into the habit of journaling.
What do your mornings usually look like? And how do you think that impacts the rest of your day?
