Why it’s important and how to make it your own!

At the start of each month, I religiously take time not only to recap my personal and career victories, but to set intention for the upcoming month(s) too! As I took time to review the last month’s notes and numbers against the prior, I quickly recognized there was a shift and in THAT shift is where I started to see success happen…in quarantine. Now HEAR ME OUT: I’m in NO way giving COVID the credit for this growth, BUT I have to admit the past many months of quarantine have given me the extra time to recognize just how important setting intention EACH DAY is to a successful week, month, year, and LIFE!

But what exactly does SETTING INTENTION look like?

For me, it’s Morning Pages.

Now before we dive into what exactly Morning Pages are and how to adapt them to serve YOU, I want to remind you that my purpose in every blog post and in LIFE is to help YOU achieve your dreams too! So whether you’re running a business like Ditch the Clique, or you’ve set yourself a health, relationship, or financial goal, I believe taking a few minutes daily to focus on YOU and the intention behind YOUR the day can DRASTICALLY alter the trajectory of your dreams!

But to REALLY explain Morning Pages and their purpose to YOU, let’s rewind and start at the beginning…or well, in March.

When the entire world shut down almost instantly in March, I (like you) felt so uncertain, scared, and hopeless. And GIRL, I allowed myself to feel those feelings for a bit. But after taking time to process how I was feeling I recognized my purpose in all of this mess, to once again inspire and empower REAL women to overcome limiting circumstances. But I knew I wasn’t ready to empower THIS community just yet. So as mentioned in my blog post #EmpoweredWomenEmpowerWomen, I sought to fill my proverbial cup before filling yours. And though I did so in MANY ways, my favorite (and likely the most impactful) quickly became Morning Pages.

It’s funny though…

When I first discovered the concept of Morning Pages while listening to a Skinny Confidential Podcast episode, I was honestly skeptical. Especially when I did a bit of research and learned Morning Pages (originally coined by Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way) are practically journaling and can look different for EVERYONE. I thought “wow, journaling the intentions of my day? Groundbreaking”

And GIRL, it is.

You see, when I finally let down my guard, shed my misconceptions of journaling, and actually gave it a REAL chance (you know, not a half-assed one), I noticed THAT shift. I noticed that Morning Pages weren’t just journaling (though there is nothing wrong with just journaling), but instead a roadmap for how I know my day deserves to look and how I deserve to feel.

And GIRL– your day, YOUR LIFE is worthy of that too! YOU deserve to have power over your time, your mind, and your emotions as you go after your dream life. And because I believe Morning Pages are an AWESOME place to start, I want to share my “roadmap” with YOU.

Now, it is important to note that just as our journeys, dreams, and LIVES are different, so are our Morning Pages. And GIRL, that’s okay! In fact in The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron states that there is no wrong way to write them! And I don’t know about YOU but that empowers me to REALLY dive in! In fact, this has inspired me to create many new categories within my Morning Pages I can’t believe didn’t exist before!

But what are those categories and how EXACTLY do you map out Morning Pages?

GIRL, let me show you my method as a way to guide you to create your own!

FIRST…

I ALWAYS begin with the date, words that inspire me/are on my mind, and long-term goals I’m working toward. Both the words and long-term goals are sections I added early on in my Morning Page journey! You may or may not choose to include these, but I find they inspire me and remind me each day what exactly I’m working toward! I write…

Rachel’s Routine mm/dd/yy

WORDS FOR TODAY–

GOALS I’M WORKING TOWARD-

NEXT…

I set the standard for how I want to feel. Now this may be unimportant to YOU, but for ME…I find that what I’m consuming and how I’m treating my body REALLY make a difference in my day. I write…

What I’m listening to-

What I’m reading-

What I’m eating

THEN…

I move into my FAVORITE categories, all of which focus on my mental and emotional well-being (I know, you’re not at all shocked that this is my favorite LOL). I write…

Today I’m grateful for –

1. The ability to work from home
2. Financial stability
3. My family

Today I want to feel –

1. Calm
2. Impactful
3. Healthy

Sending happiness to/praying for–

1. My brother
2. DTC COMMUNITY members
3. My husband

NOW…

That I’ve set intention, I REALLY organize my day. This could easily look like a classic to-do list, but I’ve learned when I set myself TOO many tasks for the day I’m easily overwhelmed. So I break it down into more achievable steps by defining the 3 things I MUST accomplish. Then (to clear my mind of ALL of my upcoming tasks) I write the rest as a classic To-Do list (no more than 6 items long) . The key here is recognizing these are items you may not achieve THAT DAY and that is okay! Typically, I role over the unaccomplished To-Do’s to the following days 3 Must Do’s. I write…

Today’s 3 Must Do’s-

1.
2.
3.

Also to do-

HERE I list any “to do” items clouding my mind (you know kind!)

FINALLY…

I get to my absolute FAVORITE part, my manifestation statement. Here, I write a sentence or two (and sometimes three LOL) about the woman I dream to be. I write about self-image, my business, my relationships, ALL the things I dream of for myself! I find this to be extremely powerful and often even read it out loud. And the best part? Some of these manifestations have already become reality! How awesome is THAT? I write…

I, Rachel K. Grim, am a positive, impactful, successful woman. I am the CEO of Ditch the Clique and my team and I empower thousands of women daily. I inspire women I’ve never met when I speak to them on large stages at events, and build personal, one-on-one relationships in Ditch the Clique’s ever-growing COMMUNITY. I invest in myself, my relationships, my marriage, and my community. I am proud of who I am.

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GIRL, I know this may seem like A LOT of work and a lot to write before even getting started with your day. So if time is your concern, try writing your Morning Pages while having breakfast or during a time you’re already still in your morning. I promise that taking just a few minutes to set the intention for your life DAILY is an investment you won’t regret!

Comment below if you will be giving Morning Pages a try! And what categories might you add to set intention for your day?

And GIRL, if you want MORE of THIS (this being a community of women inspiring and empowering you RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE while you go after your DREAM life), join Ditch the Clique COMMUNITY today!