Thread by @Camp4

🧵 4 steps to start each day in a good mood (my routine to boost creativity)

As a creative type, my mood & motivation are highly dependent on inspiration. When I’m inspired I’m unstoppable, but when I’m not I’m… kinda worthless.

Can you relate?

Over time I’ve found a morning routine that is almost 100% effective at putting me in a sunny mood, chomping at the bit to get to work. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it's been life changing.

Here’s how it works:

⛲️Step 1: Find inspiration
Twitter is a wellspring of ideas—the best source of inspiration I’ve ever found.

👉But you have to ruthlessly curate your feed

Why is this critical? Research has shown that we need to receive 7 positive comments to cancel out 1 negative comment.

👉The same applies to Twitter - your feed needs to be *overwhelmingly positive & encouraging*.

Who you follow matters, but because of the 7-to-1 rule who you DON'T follow matters even more.

WHO TO FOLLOW:
🧠Big thinkers (like @balajis)
💃Unique & quirky people (like @SarahNEmerson)
📈 Performance coaches (like @drgurner)
🔬Experts in fields you’re interested in
👴People you want to emulate
🎨Creative & artistic people (example below)
🌐People w/diverse worldviews

One Example:

Here's a recent tweet from @equartey that has nothing to do with my work or personal interests, but was super inspiring. This is the twitter content I'm here for!

https://twitter.com/equartey/status/1393530758539759618

WHO TO UNFOLLOW:
🤢Toxic & negative people
📢 Loudmouths & charlatans w/more confidence than credentials
📰 News sources (it’s mostly negative)
🎣 Clickbait artists & provocateurs
👭Friends IRL unless they fit one of the categories above (this isn't facebook)

If you want to use twitter for news, set up a separate list for that.

A general rule of thumb is: If you're in doubt, don't follow. Also don’t hesitate to mute or block trolls. They take a huge emotional toll (remember the 7-to-1 rule).

Will this make your feed a self-reinforcing echo chamber? Maybe, but who cares — it’s YOUR feed and your goal is inspiration, not debate.

Once your feed is dialed, make it your first read of the day. Brew your morning ☕️ then…

📝Step 2: Take notes
If something catches your attention, write a few words down. I use the iOS notes app because 1) it’s dead simple & 2) it syncs across all my devices. You can cut & paste snippets from twitter and add your own notes. It’s a running list of ideas and thoughts.

✍️ Step 3: Write
Writing activates the 🧠 & organizes thinking like nothing else. Pick a topic from your notes & write about it for just 5 minutes. Do it in your own style - It doesn’t have to be pretty & you don’t have to to complete or post anything (although I encourage it).

Write as if you’re telling a friend about the idea you found. Why did it catch your attention? How does it relate to your life or to current events?

I still think of twitter as my personal journal—it's mostly for me & if anyone else likes what I post that’s gravy!

Step 4: Make it a routine
I’m not a very structured person but I’m a HUGE believer in having a consistent morning routine. It provides a predictable start to the day and, done right, momentum for the work ahead.

Here’s what my morning routine looks like:

Up early (for alone time), turn on @Sonos 🎶
10 min - Unload dishes, feed 🐶🐱 to get moving
5 min - Quick yoga/stretch while making ☕️
5-10 min - Quick email scan (no replies)
20-30 min - Read twitter & take notes
5-30++ min - ✍️ Write! If you're inspired keep going...

9 days out of 10 this routine results in:

😃 A good mood
🏃‍♂️ Motivation
💡 Ideas for work & life

Try it for a few days & let me know if it works.

🙏Thanks for reading.

(P.S. If you enjoyed this I’d appreciate a retweet.)