This morning, I turned the TV off.

I’m now a morning person. Yes, now. It’s not something I’m trying to manifest, it’s not another statement with my fingers crossed, it’s an observation.

I’ve been getting decent sleep and naturally waking up at 7:00 am. I haven’t been starting work until 9:00 am. Normally, I’d sleep more, or noodle on my phone. But, I’m bored of that.

So, instead of continuing to watch YouTube this morning, I did some writing in a notebook.

I’ve been playing at improv for the past year, and last night’s class had me thinking about living in the now. It’s so tempting, when we’re starting a scene or standing on the sidelines, to orchestrate in our heads what we’re going to do. My tendency to want to live in the planned-out future contradicts one of the core principles of improv: listening.

I learned last night, or maybe re-learned, that the best improv comes in the moment. It’s not about being funny, or having a plan. Improv is the theatre of now. We create characters with strong convictions, put them on stage, stand by them, and together, us and the audience, go on this journey to see what happens.

It’s an art of discovery, but it’s grounded in the facts of what we know now.

This is why I took the time to reflect on the lessons from last night, to set the stage for today. This is why, in my normally-filled-with-brain-rot-and-dread morning, I opted for the pen. This is why, this morning, I turned the TV off.