"Never go to sleep without a request to your subconscious." —Thomas Edison

Digital writer Dickie Bush has embraced this principle to create a consistent writing routine.

"For the last 1,261 days, I've woken up and written for 90 straight minutes.

But I don't start with a blank page. If I did, the blinking cursor would crush me. Overcoming this friction day after day would be impossible.

Here's a secret: my morning writing sessions start the night before. Every night before bed, I set a 3-minute timer and follow these steps:

1. Write down one idea to write about.

2. Brain dump ten bullet points on that idea without judgment.

3. Close my journal and go to bed.

Just like that, tomorrow's writing process has begun."

Why This Works

Dickie shares three reasons why brain dumping the night before is effective:

1. Eliminates friction: It's easier to start writing when you already have something on the page.

2. Closes open loops: Processing your thoughts by writing them down resolves cyclical thoughts that can interrupt sleep.

3. Gives the mind a task: Your subconscious mind continues to process your ideas as you sleep.

My Experiment

I’m trying this strategy tonight. I'm curious to see how it affects tomorrow morning’s writing session.

I'll report back with my results.