What’s in your tool belt?

I write every day. It’s my go-to tool for dealing with any situation. Feel sad? Write it out. Turn that frown upside down – writing down everything I love is a great antidote for feeling bad. Feel happy? I write about my blessings. What am I grateful, at least three things, daily! Writing nonsense helps me make sense of the world somehow.

The practice of writing daily has been really helpful in sorting through some of the rubbish that spins around and around in my head. It quietens my harshest critic; ME!

Eventually after a few months of writing stream-of-consciousness waffle…what is the cat doing, how’s the weather today, what did my sister mean by the thing she said, where are those brown shoes… You DO get to the point where you run out of waffle, sometimes. The inner-voices that told me how ‘rubbish I am’ for years have shut the f*ck up and I have a bit of space.

But still, I write in my journal on the daily!

I have some prompts that I use to help me keep up the stream that allows me to get the three-pages of word vomit out before I start my workday. Here are some:

1. What am I doing to be healthy? You can’t live life to the fullest if you feel like cr*p!
2. Write a nonsense sentence using every letter of the alphabet in order.
3. Write a list of my fave books, movies or songs.
4. Write a letter to me as a 10-year-old.
5. What am I doing right now to fill my cup? How am I loving myself and those around me?
6. Are there any decisions hanging over me? Is there something I need to do today that will make a difference tomorrow for me or someone else?
7. How am I caring about my creative work? How am I honing my skills? What skill would I like to learn about?
8. If I could go back to any time what things would I like to learn about?
9. How am I DOING IT DAILY? How am I laying the foundation for the life I know I deserve? What one thing can I get up from this desk straight-away (after my three pages) and do to make my day more fun?
10. How can I narrow my focus in my work? Write a list of 20 things that fascinate me. Write sentences on my fave 10 things. Write a paragraph on the top 5. Plan a novel based on the Number 1 thing on that list that fascinates!
11. How can I use my time today to increase my knowledge in an area?
12. Who can I help today? What can I do today to make life better for one person and even better, how can I perform a kindness anonymously?
13. Make a list of my favourite people and what I love about them. Make a plan to catch up with someone and actually follow through!
14. How am I growing, learning and being more flexible in my approach to my work? Listing my weaknesses or challenges at this point, I give myself advice as though it was another person who had the problem. This is not always easy!

Now, go write something!

Yes, You!