The Power Of The Setup
I have been implementing a new habit and wanted to share…it’s story time!
Here is the mini-backstory: I’m currently re-reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and reading a new chapter every week. This book leads you through different exercises to cultivate creativity, and one of the first assignments that you start and maintain for all twelve weeks (and hopefully forever) are the Morning Pages. Every morning, as soon as I open my peepers, I intend to sit up, prop up some pillows and write three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing that no one will see except me. No-filter writing. The book promotes journaling three pages first thing in the morning to do much-needed brain dump and therefore it creates space for more goodness (like creativity) to come through.
This book is a classic and the results are impressive. One of my favorite, multi-Grammy winning singer-songwriters I love, Natalia Lafourcade, has done this book three times, and she gave it credit for getting her out of a creativity slump. I completed the book once, way back in 2009, and I thought I'd do it again! This book is for everyone, because creativity is for everyone. And it's especially good for those who don't think they have a drop of creativity. So, if you have been thinking about creativity or leading a more creative life, I highly recommend this book! Have any of you done The Artist's Way? Hit reply and let me know your experience!
So… I was about to start my very first day of doing these morning pages, and I wanted to take the very first step to getting a little bit closer to actually doing them. I thought about my setup; my very first step I needed. I got a notebook and pen and put it on my nightstand. It took me about a week to get my mind wrapped around the idea that I was going to wake up a little earlier and do these morning pages, however, having the notebook and pen right there, made it so much easier instead of reaching for my phone.
This is what I wanted share with you; the power of The Setup.
These are the first steps you think about to make your habit possible. Think about the habit you want to do and if there is a way you can set yourself up for success. What would be the first step to get you closer to doing the habit? For example:
*Setting your clothes out for the next day to be able to wake up early and get dressed.
*Setting your shoes in the right spot where you can see them and prompt you to go for your walk.
*Choosing the meditation ahead of time on my meditation app so I don’t have to search for it and lose time.
*Choosing your workout or class ahead of time for the gym and scheduling yourself.
Take action! Do you have a habit that you want to start and set yourself up for success? I hope you found this helpful!
