The Word of the Day Practice
by
Marilyn Horowitz
- The Word of the Day Cluster
As soon as you wake up, find the first word that comes into your mind. After you pick your Word of the Day, take a piece of paper and a pen, and place the word in a circle in the middle of the page. Set a timer for two minutes. Free-associate about the word for a minute or two. The goal is to feel happy and optimistic, whatever those words mean to you.
- Create Your Writing Intentions
On a fresh page, create a new cluster labeled “Writing Intentions” and write down at least five writing-related activities you plan to do. Examples may include journaling, writing research, marketing, networking, walking, and so on. Write fast for one minute.
2A. Create Your Beliefs
Next, take a fresh page and label it “Beliefs.” Write down at least five beliefs, such as “I believe I can get to the gym today” or “I believe that I will do a good job at work today.” Write fast for one minute.
2B. Make a schedule of just these activities. Use your actual schedule to see if there’s any extra time in your day.
3. Nightly Review
Before bedtime, make another WOTD cluster, take a few minutes to compare your actual day with your ideal one, and sleep on what you discover. Your creative unconscious will help you find more time to write.
That’s the Practice. It’s simple and easy, but it won’t work unless you do it!
