The Importance of Ritual in Writing ... at least for me.

Setting up a certain set of conditions, at least for me, is key to getting a lot writing done.

I know that I focus best in the morning. Early, like 5am. Know thyself and when the muse is most likely to visit you. Don't be afraid to experiment and see what time works best for you. What conditions do I use?

1. Set up everything the night before so I'm ready to start writing right away.
2. Listen to nature sounds (my favorites are rain, waves and wind).
3. I like wearing noise cancelling headphones to listen to the aforementioned sounds.
4. Shut off the internet. I work on an old laptop that doesn't get online very easily. 
5. Turn off the cell and put it out in another room the night before. Don't check email/social accounts until after writing.
6. Set (achievable) goals. What works best for me is having a list to cross items off. Or a word count/set amount of time.

Do I always follow all of these? Of course not. But when I do, it's when I usually feel the most productive. If you follow your ritual, your muse becomes accustomed to visiting at that time. If not, at least you've shown up and done *your* job, even if that slacker muse hasn't.

Do you have any rituals that work well for you when you write?