I’ve been doing writing practice, morning pages, or writing in a journal for 25 years. I thought, given everyones overall feelings post election 2016 I would share five 10 minute writing exercises that you can do in the next week to help ground you and move your life and work forward. Fast, easy and hopefully helpful writing exercises that take 10 minutes with you doing one exercise per day. All the supplies you need are a pen, paper and a timer of some kind (I use my phone).
First Writing Exercise: I’m Afraid
Set a timer for 10 minutes and write everything down that you fear. I like to just make this a list of sentences that all start with “I’m afraid…” Keep writing for 10 minutes until every single thing you are afraid of is out. These can be big global fears, personal money or relationship fears, health fears, work or business fears. The key is to not censor and just keep your hand moving. Write one fear after another. If you want to expand on a fear – go with it. Just keep writing for the full 10 minutes.
Second Writing Exercise: I Want
Set a timer for 10 minutes and write everything down that you want. I start with the sentence, “I want…” and just go from there. One thing after another. I want big things and small things. I want global, national, community and personal things. I want things for myself and for other people. Be specific in the things you want for the full 10 minutes. If you get stuck just start a new line with “I want…” and keep going. You aren’t judging your wants or deciding if they are good or bad. Just write them out.
Get unstuck and write your way out of fear with these easy exercises.
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Third Writing Exercise: I Need
Set a timer for 10 minutes and write down everything that you need. “I need…” peace, kindness, a grain free sugar free doughnut… whatever it is. Just write what you need right now, tomorrow, this month, this year. Whatever you need to make your life better and more full. (I know. I am never going to find a grain and sugar free doughnut, but I still need it.)
Fourth Writing Exercise: I Have
Set a timer for 10 minutes and write down all the things that you have in your life that make you more whole. Relationships, objects, projects, ideas, beliefs and all the things that account for the abundance in your life right now. Start with the sentence, “I have…” and just riff off that, listing all of the things that are real and true right now in your life. If you are feeling stuck you can just list exactly what you see in front of you.
Fifth Writing Exercise: I Will
Set a timer for 10 minutes and write what you will do to live a full life. Start with the sentence, “I will…” and write what you will do personally, what you will do in your relationships, what you will do in your family, what you will do in your job, what you will do in your home and all the things that you will do. These can be specific, like doing your laundry (which is a never ending constant) to larger ideals like standing up for people who need your support. You have tremendous power and acknowledging it with what you will do to make a better life will move you forward.
These short writing exercises have been a life saver this week for me. They have helped me to clarify my fears, understand my own abilities, and be grateful for what I have in my life. When I am feeling stuck in any aspect of my life I often come back to these short exercises to bump me out of hole. They have motivated me in my personal, civic and work life.
Even if the idea of writing is foreign to you, I encourage you to try it. No one will ever read what you wrote. In fact, you can tear it up afterwards if that is something you are afraid of happening. This isn’t about the great American novel or even a paper for your high school english teacher – it is about getting what is locked inside of your mind and heart out onto paper so you can become a vibrant member of your community and richly live your life.
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