I am reviving the morning pages, a habit I’ve done more than 10 years ago. I was encouraged to begin again because of this book which is helping me heal my issues with money.
Julia Cameron, the creator of the pages, explains what it can do for you: “Pages clarify our yearnings. They keep an eye on our goals. They may provoke us, coax us, comfort us, even cajole us, as well as prioritize and synchronize the day at hand. If we are drifting, the pages will point that out. They will point the way True North. Each morning, as we face the page, we meet ourselves. The pages give us a place to vent and a place to dream. They are intended for no eyes but our own.”
What do you do
Get a notebook (nothing fancy, I’m currently using an A5-sized one from Muji worth a little over P50). When you wake up, get your pen, open your notebook and write down whatever comes into your head until you fill up three pages. Do it before you do anything else, before checking your phone, before meditation. That’s it.
What it does for me
It clears my head. The pouring out of thoughts helps me more than meditation because this becomes my repository of worries and stress.
It clarifies issues. When these come up over and over in the pages, I know they’re something I need to pay attention to.
It helps me plan my day. In the course of the three pages, I end up knowing what I want to prioritize, what I want to accomplish, what needs to be done.
It serves as my gratitude journal. As I have done with all my journals, I end with a list of five things I appreciate about my life and my weekly intention or affirmation.
It has helped manifest my desires. By writing down what I want, I articulate what I want for my life. Seeing the future I want on the page helps me map out the next step or at the very least, sends out that dream or intention to the universe.
Writing three pages isn’t easy. But it’s when you push past the discomfort that it becomes interesting. I started with just one page, moved up to two and on certain days, I have enough thoughts to fill three pages. What’s more important, at least for me, is writing regularly and consistently.
