I have never been able to bring myself to do morning pages. I feel bad about this. I really waaaaant to do them, but morning time is a bit of a scuzball time for me: all growly and sweary and stompy.
With some modifications, and access to all-I-can-drink coffee, I have found a daily practice that grooves with my rhythm. I call them Fireside Chats. (Sounds like leather club chairs in a den with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a glass of single malt…which is maybe why it works for me…)
Every morning, I curl up beside the fireplace (am going to have to find somewhere else in the summer: maybe a patio chair and a patch of sunlight?) with a cup of coffee, my notebook and markers. And then I get to it, and check in with the Head of State, the Managing Director, the CEO of my life:
“Good morning, Cynthia. Let’s find out what we have going on today.”
During Fireside Chats, I ask myself four questions over the span of about fifteen minutes:
1. Where am I right now? (or: Where’s Your Head A-aa-at?) This can be anything that reflects the overall current state of the union: noticing what is happening emotionally, physically, spiritually. I don’t go through project deadlines and status here, but I do often note things that are sticking around and occupying brain space, lists of worries, etc.
2. Where am I going? I take a minute to reflect on the visioning that I have done, and think about what has been knocked loose during my dreamboarding practices. So, from a high level, where am I going? What am I creating? I keep this as high level as it needs to be for the time being: trusting that the work that I do visioning brings more and more clarity over time.
3. What do I need to get there? These are the things I know I need to do, or research, or resources that I know I need to get. These are big and little things: a brain dump of everything that I know I need. I go through this pretty quickly, because I have noticed that mulling over this and thinking of “perfect” answers gets me pretty stuck pretty fast.
4. What will I commit to do today? Take a few minutes. Think about the day ahead and decide what I will be responsible for completing today. Even if it is a big, big, big project: what is one small step I can take today completely cross off the list? For example: a big project may be a retreat that I am organizing, but “organize retreat” is much too big for a single day’s deliverable. But: “follow up with the facility booking manager” and “duke out high level agenda” could BOTH go on the list for today.
I am, honestly, loving this practice. Fireside chats keep me grounded to the present, but with my eye on the life that I am creating. This practice has helped me navigate with confidence during major life changes, crisis, and hella big projects.
Don’t you think it would be worthwhile to have a fireside chat with the most important person in your life? You can even start in the evenings, with a glass of single malt.
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