Wondering what successful people do when they wake up? What helps them win the day, clear their mind, go after their goals, be peaceful and not let the chaos of the day get to them?

There’s one morning habit they all swear by – journaling in the early hours of the day.

Everyone that’s started doing morning pages – who gets up in the morning and the first thing he does is write down what’s on his mind, some positive affirmations, plans and dreams – knows the benefits this little habit has.

It not only gets you in a better mood and makes you more peaceful and relaxed for the whole day, but it also helps you get a better understanding of yourself and the world, find out some deep fears and issues you’ve got and think of creative solutions.

But how exactly is it done?

How to Start Doing What Successful People Do in the Morning

1. Choose the very first part of the day.

The early morning is the perfect time for this practice, as it’s when the problems and worries of the day still haven’t got to you, there’s no one and no noise to distract you, so you can focus and make the best of it.

Related: How to Get Out of Bed in The Early Hours

2. Do it before everything else.

For best results, what successful people do is write before breakfast, meditation, their morning workout, and going out.

You can even do it in bed if you want, just place a notebook beside it so that you can simply reach for it and put in writing the very first thoughts that pop up in your head this day.

3. Just write.

You can do it by hand (the better option), but you can also type them.

Let go of expectations, perfectionism and grammar rules. Just start writing about whatever comes to mind first. And keep this for as long as you can.

Related: The Habits That Help Me Write a Lot Daily

But what to write about when you run out of ideas?

Morning Pages Ideas

• 3 things you’re grateful for;
• a detailed to-do list;
• 5 things that will make today great;
• what you want to achieve in the next month;
• negative thoughts – complain to the morning pages and let go of them this way;
• unusual ways to do your work better, grow your business, improve yourself;
• things you don’t want in your life;
• all the qualities you like about yourself;
• what happened yesterday and what you can learn from it;
• what you just dreamt about (if you remember it);
• confidence affirmations;
• your deepest fear and what you can do about it (sometimes it’s easier to deal with it by writing it down);
• poetry;
• fiction;
• describe a painful event from your past (then write about the present moment and that you need to let go of what was as it doesn’t matter anymore).

That’s what successful people do right after they wake up.

But what are the actual benefits?

Why All Successful People Write First Thing in The Morning

1. They kickstart the day and are more energized and in a better mood for the rest of it.

If the very first thing you do each day is to write positive affirmations about your life while enjoying the peace of the early morning, you’ll be much more happy in general.

2. It helps you cure depression and decrease stress.

Sparing some time in the early hours of the day to write is something that can help you clear your mind, become aware and calm. And that makes you less stressed and depressed.

3. You find solutions to different problems.

Sometimes you’ll be writing about your issues, stuff that you hate, will describe your fears, worries and doubts. At least, that’s what successful people do.

If you too develop that habit, you’ll also find recurring themes in your life that you haven’t noticed before. And will see what your real problems are.

And as writing engages your mind and makes you more creative, you’ll come up with ideas on how to fix these problems and improve areas of your life.

The solution is already inside you – in the same place the problem came from. Writing will just help you find it.

4. You generate ideas.

You can write about anything, and because right after you wake up your inner critic is still sleeping, you’ll come up with some pretty unusual and creative stuff.

And if you come back to your morning pages after some time, you’ll find them useful and can apply them to business, self-improvement, art, etc.

5. You build discipline.

Doing this every morning will make you stronger and increase your willpower. Often you won’t be in the mood and will want to sleep some more or do something else. But it will be the power of habit and the benefits you’ve already felt that will give you the momentum to actually sit down and write.

6. You become a better writer.

You may not enjoy writing at all in the beginning and find it hard to start, but in time you’ll do it with less and less effort. You’ll just feel more comfortable doing it, words will come out more easily and you’ll go with the flow.

7. You start thinking better.

Another way journal writing can change your life in general, and why this is what successful people do before breakfast, is by making you think better.

In the process of writing both of your brain sides are involved – the rational and the creative one. You practice it, improve slowly, and soon it does a better job when taking decisions, developing habits, communicating, brainstorming, or other things you do daily that need brain engagement.

So that’s how doing morning pages is beneficial to so many parts of your life.

Can you think of any other way writing first thing in the morning helps you? How what successful people do when they wake up can apply to your current situation?