When I write, I like to have the least distraction possible, with only the tools I need at hand around me.
At my desk, here’s what I place in front of me:
- Keyboard
- Post-It notes
- Mont Blanc pencil
- Pomodoro clock
- Yoda
Each has with it a specific ritual-like task:
First, I clean my keyboard, to give it a fresh feel.
Then I center my Post-It notes—the quickest way to capture an idea and visually place it in front of me for later assessment.
This is followed by placing my Mont Blanc pencil on my Post-It notes. (I love the weight of it in my hand. I feel like a writer.)
And then I set my Pomodoro clock, usually for a 50-minute deep writing block. The winding of it is a physical engagement with time, resulting, at the end of the twist, in a lovely ticking sound.
Finally, there is the placement of my Yoda: “Do or do not; there is no try.”
Together these small tasks move beyond just habits and move into the arena of ritual, making my writing space a sacred space.