When I am at my home office early in the morning, I tend to stare outside the window a lot and replay a recent event in my head or daydream. Then I notice the timer on my desk which means I need to focus to make the best of my morning routine before heading to work or kids wake up, so I tell myself “don’t think it, write it” to remember to use my journal to capture my daydreams and replays on paper. Locking my thoughts in paper helps me think more clearly and get some insights.

I do believe, however, in the power of daydreaming for the creative process as a way of incubating and integrating multiple ideas to spark a new one. When I have several intense mornings in a row generating new content, I do allow myself to have those staring-at-the-window-with-coffee-in-hand sessions. The ideal scenario would be to set a time limit for those sessions. I always feel better if I switch to writing after because it helps me reflect and often resolve those stuck repetitive ideas in my head.

A nice mantra to keep writing is “Think with ink” as a wise friend reminded me lately. I also love this quote that the author Michael Hyatt often uses to encourage us to write: “Thoughts disentangle themselves as they pass over the lips and through pencil tips.”

That’s a fraction of the power writing can have on our lives. Start writing now.