Try It and Then Decide

Try it is something that I’ve been telling myself a lot lately. When I’m being resistant to doing something, especially when it’s something I should be doing that I’m not, or something I’m doing that I shouldn’t, I’ve been able to get over the hump by saying, “just try it.” If it doesn’t work, go back to what you were doing.

A few months ago I started a writing routine called morning pages, which was developed by Julia Cameron and shared in the book The Artists Way. I was inspired by Brian Koppelman in Tools of Titans to begin. He said “Of the 100 people I’ve given it [The Artists Way] to, maybe ten of them have actually opened the book and done the exercises [specifically morning pages]. Of those ten, seven have had books, movies, TV shows, and made out succesful.” 

Morning pages is a tactic for wannabe (like me) or struggling (also like me) creatives to help them get their juices flowing. The premise is simple. Wake up and write three pages of longhand before doing anything else (I typically walk my dog and make coffee first). It should all be stream of conscious. Spelling doesn’t matter. Logic doesn’t matter. Grammar doesn’t matter. Just explode onto the page with whatever comes to mind.

Since starting this routine my writing has drastically improved as has my mood and the overall joy I get from each day.

But in the last week my morning pages routine has extended past three pages and turned into 1 - 2 additional hours each morning in front of the computer. Doing things like typing notes, thoughts, and ideas from the day before. Checking my finances. Responding to email. Sitting down to write has morphed into working first thing in the morning and it’s been dragging on the rest of my day, and affecting my mood, my creativity, and my productivity.

I knew I needed to stop after three pages and go do something different, like exercise, instead of sitting at my computer. But I was reluctant to change. Even though it was negatively impacting the rest of the day, I enjoyed that time revising my essays, tweaking my website, and checking in on the markets. It felt productive and I didn’t want to give that up. But I needed to break the routine.

So, I convinced myself by saying try it. “Tomorrow, after you’re done with your morning pages, get up and workout. And if you don’t feel better, then tomorrow you can go back to your routine.”

I tried it, and I felt better. Today I got up, wrote my morning pages, ate, worked out, and then around mid-day jumped on the computer.

Part of why we’re all so reluctant to change is because we see it as permanent. And we don’t know how we’re going to feel if this new diet is the way we eat for the rest of our lives. Or this high intensity exercise class is how we’re going to stay active long term. When we project out this way, the change becomes intimidating and takes on a life of it’s own. 

In recent years I learned about a common saying in Alcoholics Anonymous. “I didn’t drink today.”

Don’t worry about tomorrow or the next day. Just think about today and what you know you need to do. Try it. And if it doesn’t work out, you can always go back or try something new.