Allow Yourself to Write What Comes to Mind
One of my favorite journaling and idea-generating activities is known as a Brain Dump. I first heard about the technique years ago in David Allen’s book, Get Things Done. It’s a straightforward journaling technique based on the notion that we can capture ideas by simply allowing ourselves to write everything that comes to mind about a particular topic. We are dumping everything from our head onto a page of written text.
Dump Everything From Your Head
My topic today: Secrets to Journaling Success
My Brain Dump – in particular order:
No rules. Just write.
Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, syntax.
Write by hand.
Get a pen that’s comfortable.
Create a ritual.
Begin with timed exercises.
Use prompts to start.
Make a commitment.
Allow it to just be. Free form thought.
No editing/proofreading/corrections.
Most important is what you write, not what you write with.
Ask questions, and the answers appear.
Keep a record.
Date each entry.
Be honest with yourself/be truthful.
Write when and how you want to — it has to work for you, not against you.
Decide what kind of journal you want to keep: gratitude, transition, travel, ideas, business, life, special need- i.e. weight loss, exercise
Relax.
Get out of your head and into your heart.
Don’t over-think it.
Don’t worry about making it sound good.
Allow yourself to make no sense.
The sillier the better.
Disconnected thoughts are OK, too.
Describe everything you see, hear, smell, feel.
Be gentle with yourself.
Find sources of inspiration in quotes, artwork, people, places.
Grab a magazine – write about a headline.
Don’t worry that someone has already written about it.
Steal ideas. (Remember, this is not a finished product, and nothing is original thought.)
Keep going. Don’t interrupt your flow.
Make lists.
Ask and answer questions.
Nothing is wrong.
Play with words and letters.
Look for rhymes.
Write out every word you can think of that begins with “a”, “b”, etc.
There is no end.
When you think you can’t write anymore, write one more sentence.
Try never lifting the pencil until you get to the bottom of page one.
Write a Mantra.
You don’t have to change the world right at this moment.
Focus on progress over perfection.
Done is better than perfect.
First drafts are often shitty. (Thanks to Stella Orange for teaching me to appreciate my “Shitty First Drafts” or SFDs.)
Remember, you can always edit later. Don’t interrupt your flow.
And so it is…
What tips and tricks do you use? Please share so we can learn from each other. And do let me know if any of these thoughts are helpful as you continue your journaling practice. I’d love to hear from you.