How to Make Mornings Magical for Your Writing Practice

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Open any personal development book, and you’re likely to read that mornings are the best time to do pretty much anything. It’s when you should work out, meditate, journal, create and mentally prepare for the day.

Sounds like you need an entire day to make it happen, right? 

According to Robin Sharma and his book The 5am Club, “your first few hours are where heroes are made”. By breaking down your morning into three 20 minute sections, you’re able to maximize your time, energy and potential. Sharma also says that 5am is your best time for concentration, creativity and quiet.

Most writers know what it feels like to wake up before everyone else and get a good start on their work — those days it feels like you’re invincible. But without a clear idea of why those days felt so good, it doesn’t seem repeatable.

However, if you use a simple guide to creating the morning you and your writing deserves, you’ll find the repetition easier and easier.

Schedule Your Time

Maybe, it’s not 5am, but mark your writing time in your calendar. Instead of saying you’re going to write every morning, block out in your schedule for how long and when. 

It could be 3 days a week or every day, but be realistic with what you can commit to with everything else you have on your plate. Nothing kills momentum than trying to go too hard too quickly and burning out.

Move Before You Begin

Sharma’s first 20 minute segment involves some sage wisdom you’ve likely heard of before: Moving first thing in the morning increases cognitive abilities, energy and mood.

If you’ve tried to write as soon as you wake up, but found it hard to get started, this could be why. Do a quick stretch or yoga routine before you sit down, and the words may be easier to find. 

Make Your Ritual Special

As much as you love writing, the practice of it can be daunting. What starts as an exciting new routine can have you dreading the work you have to do — you know, the actual writing part.

So, designate this time for special things like when you light that fancy candle or drink a specific tea. If there’s an area of the house you love to write, but don’t when everyone is awake, use that time to be there before the day begins. As time goes on, you’ll add new things into your practice, which will help you keep the enthusiasm even when it’s hard to find.

Have a Goal

Don’t show up to “see what happens”, unless you’re at a point in the writing process where you need to. Even with that, have a goal. Do you have a specific word or page count you want to hit? Are you struggling with the end of your first chapter and want to revise it this week?

Know what you are and are not working on, so you can make the most out of your limited writing time. You’ll leave your session feeling more accomplished, even if you don’t hit the goal every session. You at least have something you’re working towards besides the vague goal of “writing every morning”.

How to Keep the Magical Spark

Be gentle and flexible with yourself and the practice. If time becomes limited, what’s your minimal viable routine? Is it a 5 minute stretch and half of your word count? Or is it a 10 minute yoga session with 30 minutes of writing time?

If you’re stuck with the writing, use that time to read or for white space. Part of making your mornings magical is to know when to trust your instincts. If you’re craving some time to sit and think, do that. 

You have the power to adjust and reevaluate your mornings regularly. Make it work for you, and your efforts will multiply more than they would by trying to do something that doesn’t fit for you. And no writer deserves that.