Your Daily Mental Cleanse for Success
You know you need to take charge of your day from the time your feet hit the floor, so it doesn’t get away from you before it even starts. A daily mental cleanse can set the tone for a successful day.
So why give that time away to others by starting with social media, emails, family obligations, and to-do lists?
Instead, why not take a page from some of the most successful women in the world… who start their day by simply writing? Not strategic planning or goal setting — just writing whatever comes to mind. This practice, called Morning Pages, has transformed countless lives and businesses. Today, I want to share how this simple ritual can revolutionize your productivity and creativity, serving as a mental cleanse that fosters clarity and focus.
What Are Morning Pages?
Morning Pages are a practice developed by Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way. The concept is beautifully simple: each morning, before doing anything else, you write three full pages of long-hand, stream-of-consciousness writing. There’s no wrong way to do it… simply put pen to paper and write whatever comes to mind, without editing, censoring, or judging yourself.
Julia’s Story
Julia Cameron developed Morning Pages in the early 1990s during her own creative recovery. After struggling with alcoholism, drug use, and a difficult divorce from director Martin Scorsese, Cameron was searching for ways to reconnect with her creativity and inner voice. The practice emerged organically as she found that writing freely each morning helped clear her mind and tap into deeper insights.
What began as a personal practice became the cornerstone of her groundbreaking book The Artist’s Way, published in 1992. Since then, millions of people worldwide have adopted Morning Pages as a transformative daily ritual.
Why It Works for You as a (Busy) Business Woman
Morning Pages work because they bypass your inner critic and connect you directly with your authentic thoughts and feelings.
When you start your day by emptying your mind onto paper, several powerful things happen:
- Mental clarity emerges as you process worries, ideas, and thoughts that might otherwise cloud your thinking throughout the day.
- Solutions to business challenges often appear spontaneously when you allow your mind to wander freely on paper.
- Your true priorities become clearer when you express your genuine thoughts rather than what you think you “should” be focusing on.
- Creative ideas flow more readily after you’ve cleared the mental clutter.
- Your decision-making improves because you’ve already connected with your authentic voice.
Julia Cameron shared in an interview with The Guardian that she’s only ever missed one day… and felt scattered and out of sync all day because of it.
How to Implement Morning Pages in Your Routine
• Wake up 30 minutes earlier than usual… or change your first 30 minutes to this practice instead of scrolling social media or checking your email.
• Write first, before getting online or turning on the TV.
• Use pen and paper, not digital devices.
• Write three full pages without stopping.
• Don’t overthink or edit — just let your words flow.
• Keep your pages private to ensure complete honesty. Think of it like the locked diary you probably kept as a teenager… no one’s going to read it, so write whatever needs to come out.
You might find that Morning Pages help you identify patterns in your thinking, uncover unconscious barriers to your success, and tap into intuitive business insights that analytical thinking alone can’t access.
By creating this space for yourself before diving into the demands of the day, you’re prioritizing your mental clarity and your connection to your deepest wisdom — perhaps the most valuable business assets you possess.
Will you try Morning Pages tomorrow morning? I’d love to hear how this practice transforms your day and your business decisions.
Here are some other ideas for how to start your day with purpose.
And if you’d like some help establishing the habits and routines that help you live your best life, let me help you.
