Open The Laptop (My Morning Writing Routine)

I just opened my laptop to write with no ideas for what I was going to write. I clicked on the Apple Notes app, where I write all of my blogs, without knowing what I was going to write about. 

Maybe this seems like it would be scary, like I’m jumping without a parachute, or driving without a map. But the past 90 minutes have been very familiar. I did the same thing I do most mornings, when I have the time to follow my morning ritual. 

I woke up, drank some water, then read the news on my phone. I got in the shower, washed my body, then my face. I got out of the shower, checked the weather, got dressed, brushed my teeth, and put on deodorant, face lotion, and eyedrops. I sat down to drink more water and read an article on my phone, then I embarked on a morning walk. I walked the same route through my neighborhood that I usually do, about 10 minutes of walking. I got back home, put water on the stove, sat down to read, then got up just as the kettle began whistling. I measured the coffee grounds, poured the water, and then pressed the coffee in to my mug. I sat down to read for another 15 minutes, then opened my computer to write. With no idea of what I was going to write about. 

This process isn’t uncommon. Occasionally, I’ll be able to decide what I’ll write about on my morning walk, or while I’m reading. Sometimes even the night before. But often, I’ll follow my entire morning routine without any concept of what I’ll write about, all the way up to the moment when I’m looking at a blinking cursor on a blank word document. Then, an idea comes to me, and I start writing.

If you’ve been reading recently, you know I just bought a bunch of books on habit to do more research on the topic. I’m currently reading The Power Of Habit by Charles Duhigg, and on page 22, he says, “…When a habit emerges, the brain stops fully participating in decision making. It stops working so hard, or diverts focus to other tasks.” 

This might be why writers like Stephen King, Donald Miller, and Annie Dillard are champions of writing routines. If we have to decide whether or not we’ll make art based on how we feel, we might decide not to create. And on many days, we probably won’t create anything. It seems like the psychology of habits makes that decision for us. By following our routines, regardless of if we have an idea or not, our brain isn’t given the opportunity to decide whether or not we’ll create. It just does. 

So grab a pen. Sit down at the piano. Open the laptop. Start scribbling, doodling, noodling. It doesn’t matter if you’re inspired or not. Create a habit of sitting down regardless. After a while, the work will follow. 

Good luck out there.