3 Simple Energy Rituals to Help You Write Better Everyday

How do we tap into our limited energy reserves to bring out our best work? Here are three simple rituals you can easily add to your day that can help immensely.

1. Eliminate Friction

We are wired to think about every chore or task in agonizing detail. Every step seems excruciatingly long and hopelessly exaggerated—especially if we aren’t particularly fond of the task at hand. So if you catch yourself procrastinating, then don’t worry. You’re not the only one.

One of the best ways to break this cycle is the concept of “eliminating friction.” In culinary schools, they teach chefs to clean up the kitchen entirely, down to every pot and pan before they sign off for the day. This gives them a fresh start the next day, allowing them to prep and cook right away.

So, whenever you finish your writing tasks for the day, clean up your workspace. This may include shutting down all apps and tabs, cleaning up the crumpled mess of papers and leaving a fresh stack of papers on your desk.

You can apply this ritual to just about any daily task and bring down the number of steps and, most importantly, the energy required to get your next successful project started.

2. Positive Self-Talk

Self-talk can shape the way we feel and understand the world. It can also shift the way we think and bring about vital sources of emotional energy to conquer our day.

Start your day with a set of empowering questions. Well-know author, life & business coach Tony Robbins, suggests that each morning you ask yourself a range of questions like: What are you happiest about? What are you excited or most grateful for in life? Not only will these questions help you tap into gratitude but also make you feel rejuvenated and preapared to go about your day.

3. Automate Non-Writing Tasks

In the book The Power of Full Engagement, Tony Schwartz, founder of The Energy Project, and Jim Loehr, world-renowned psychologist, cover a comprehensive approach to energy management. One of their highlighted approaches is to take the time to plan out as many of your other non-writing rituals in advance.

A good example of this approach is weekly meal planning. By having your meals planned for the week ahead of time, you free up more energy to put towards your other important rituals for the week (like writing).

The more planning you do for all non-writing activities; the less time you spend on ad hoc decisions. This amount of energy savings can have a profound impact on your writing career.