I used to start every journal entry with a fresh burst of anxiety, feeling like I had to invent the entire post from scratch before I could write a single word. I believed I had to deliver gut-punches of pure emotion from the depths of my soul. But I was wrong.

Now I know that internal resistance isn't from a lack of creativity; it's the exhausting effort of continuous reinvention and putting my work on such a high pedestal that it paralyzes me out of fear of making a mistake. The greatest artists and thinkers rely on rigid frames—sonnets, film scores, four-part movements—because structure frees the mind to focus on the message.

A template isn't a prison. It just may be the runway for your best work.

Hampton Beach, NH - photo by J.R. Warden

What's one simple template or system (for work, life, or creativity) that finally let you stop reinventing the wheel?