What if you could write as easily as you drive a car?
Like being on automatic.
You just get into the car, start the motor, step on the accelerator–and the car starts moving.
You don’t stop the car every time you decide whether to go into second or third gear (at least, I hope you don’t!).
But when we write, the process can be labored and slow. I’m sure you know about that!
It’s like creeping along in a slow car. Everyone seems to be passing you, and you just can’t go faster. In fact, the more you step on the accelerator, the slower you seem to go.
It’s frustrating!
What’s the problem?
You may think the car’s no good.
In terms of writing, you may think that you’re not good enough, not smart enough, or not talented enough.
Wrong!
Let’s get back to cars. What’s the most likely cause of your car’s low speed?
You left the handbrake on… duh!
Makes sense, doesn’t it?
It’s the same with writing. If your writing is slow and labored, you need to release the handbrake.
But what IS the brake?
It’s not your writing technique or the way your desk faces, or whether you’re using a productivity app.
It’s something most writers ignore.
What puts the brakes on our creativity and robs us of creative joy is a lackluster body.
Wut?
Lackluster body?
Hear me out.
When our body is unhappy and feels lumpy and dumpy, the brakes clamp down on creativity.
Do you want to release the brakes?
I bet you do!
News flash: I found a way to do it.
In the last six months, I’ve been doing a lot of research around mindful fitness and I’ve experimented with using exercise to boost creativity and wellbeing. But not just any kind of exercise.
Definitely not standing in front of a mirror in the gym and mindlessly repeating arm curls. Or writing a blog post while running on a treadmill.
I’m into mindful fitness.
Mindful fitness brings body, mind and soul into harmony. Click to Tweet
When we bring soft attention to the body, exercise functions like meditation in action.
The results are spectacular! After just a few months, I’m so much more alert and creative and I’ve recovered my zest for life!
I’m so excited, I even started trail running, even though I previously told everyone, “I just can’t run.”
And I can definitely feel a boost to my productivity and creativity!
As Henry Thoreau said:
The moment my legs began to move, my thoughts began to flow.
Are you in?
Write a comment to let us know what you think about taking off the brakes.
