Evening Writing Ritual

I'm a big fan of small amounts of writing. I often don't have time to sit down and churn out 1,000 words, and I also don't always want to write fiction. Some days, I want a clear-cut way to exercise my writing muscle in 10 minutes or less. I also want a clear-cut way to help myself feel better at the end of a long day of teaching. 

Below is a little writing ritual (it takes about 10 minutes all-told) that I try to find time for most evenings. You can answer these questions for yourself, or, if you're creating a character for a piece of fiction, you can put yourself in that character's mindset and answer the questions as them. 

Here it is: 

Grab a journal or piece of paper and take just TWO minutes to answer the following questions (set a timer to make it easier): 

1) What got done today?  (List as much as you can think of in the 2 minute window. And by the way: Getting out of bed and getting dressed totally counts as an accomplishment when the going gets tough. If you showed up for your day, you're a rockstar. )

2) What did you learn? (This can be something small but powerful; for example, maybe you learned that you feel bad when you complain about your day. Now you have insight into how to feel better, act better, and live better.) 

3) Where did you show your strength? (When did you act kindly even though you were tired? When did you stand up for a belief, even a small one?) 

4) Where did you see that God was looking out for you? When did something work out easily? When did someone show you kindness or help you? (If the word 'God' doesn't feel right to you, simply replace it with 'Life', or the 'Universe', or any other name that reflects some higher power giving us support where we need it.) 

That's it! Enjoyed this ritual? Leave me a comment below and tell me what you liked or an insight that came up.