How Going To The Gym Helped My Writing

Summary

The author discovered that incorporating a consistent gym routine significantly improved their physical fitness and unexpectedly enhanced their writing motivation and productivity.

Abstract

The author, not previously inclined towards gym workouts, decided to start lifting weights, which led to noticeable physical improvements within a short period. This early success at the gym translated into a newfound motivation that the author applied to their writing routine. By approaching writing with the same consistency and patience as weightlifting, the author experienced a breakthrough in creativity and output. The discipline of a morning gym session not only provided physical benefits but also created a space for creative thinking, resulting in a more dedicated and fruitful writing practice.

Opinions

The author believes that the discipline of waking up early to go to the gym contributed to a sense of accomplishment and a positive start to the day.
Regular gym sessions provided immediate physical results, which in turn boosted the author's confidence and motivation in other areas of life, particularly writing.
The author emphasizes the importance of consistency and patience in achieving goals, using their gym routine as evidence that these principles lead to success.
The gym routine inadvertently became a catalyst for improved writing, as the repetitive nature of weightlifting allowed the author's mind to explore creative ideas and solve writing challenges.
The author suggests that individuals seeking to improve their motivation or productivity should engage in activities that offer measurable success, like going to the gym, to build confidence and establish a routine.

How Going To The Gym Helped My Writing

I have never really been a “gym person,” but recently I had the desire to lift weights. I remember myself having more definition in my muscles and that was the catalyst that caused me to sign up for a gym membership. I hadn’t lifted weights since high school, I didn’t know what to expect.

My New Routine

I decided to wake up an hour earlier every morning to make time for going to the gym. The first week of mornings were rough but I soon began to look forward to waking up early. The drive to the gym and the fact that not many people were out and about offered a sort of zen like calm that I found easy to settle into. (I also made a point to forgo coffee until after my weightlifting sessions which made my morning drives extra Zen like.)

My routine at the gym (which I’m still doing) consists of light stretching, a few minutes of warm up jogging on the treadmill, then light weight lifting before more strenuous iron pumping. I focus on my chest, shoulders and arms but do mix in a leg day every week. I accomplish everything within about forty minutes.

The Results

I was astonished at how fast I saw results from my weightlifting sessions. My pectorals and biceps were noticeably larger after just a week of lifting. Seeing gains so suddenly made me want to lift more, it was proof that what I was doing was working. I felt very positive and had a newfound confidence. I carried myself differently because I knew I was improving myself.

I believe going to the gym makes me feel good not only because of seeing gains but also because it gives me a task to accomplish right away every morning. Every time I complete my workout, I feel a sense of pride in having gotten something done before many people even open their eyelids.

I also think the way I gradually ease my body and mind into the day has an effect. I have my relaxing drive to the gym, then I gently stretch and jog on the treadmill before doing the more intense work. After my workout, I am alert and ready to go, fully actuated for a successful, productive day. I don’t feel like someone who just rolled out of bed.

A New Sense of Motivation

I consider myself a hard worker, but do have a hard time sticking with things sometimes and going to the gym regularly for a month now has given me evidence that if I’m consistent I will start to see results. I have also recognized that after seeing positive results, there is a snowball effect. Once I’ve gained traction and found success, I want more success, so I apply myself even more and that’s where the real magic happens. Motivation is weird in that way, it really hits only after you’ve begun to see positive results or have eased into the process of whatever you are doing. At least it’s that way for me.

I remind myself that things are going to be boring and tedious for a while before something really clicks, before I reach a new gear of passion, before I start to see a measurable level of success.

I have transferred my new sense of motivation to my writing and things are going well. I have written short stories very sporadically for several years but am now undertaking a much more consistent approach to my writing. I sit down and trust the process, I don’t care about getting a ton of writing done or writing the next great American novel. I just sit down and start working on something, knowing that after plunking away terribly for a while something will click and I’ll start to write a bit better and start to write a bit more. I now have a newfound feeling of contentment about my writing that is causing me to do more writing. I feel like an actual writer, not someone who wrote a few stories years ago.

Another microcosm sort of effect I’ve come to enjoy about my morning gym sessions is that I often find myself thinking about my writing. When doing something as repetitive as weight lifting, my mind has the opportunity to wander and it usually wanders into a highly creative space. I think my writing and about potential plot problems, I think about characters and their motivations. I think about what I’m trying to say. I’ve even had a few epiphanies that caused me to take stories in drastically different directions, these sudden bouts of inspiration send me racing back home to my laptop like a man possesed.

In Summary

Going to the gym reminded me that everything takes work and that consistency is important. I was also reminded that there hidden benefits to achieving my goals. I didn’t start going to the gym to improve my motivation for writing, it just happened to work out that way.

In the simplest terms, I used weight lifting to prove to myself that I can be consistent and achieve success.

If you feel like you aren’t doing enough or struggle with motivation, consider doing something where there is a good chance to see measurable success and then use that as a steppingstone, as evidence that you can do the same thing in another aspect of your life. Build confidence and get used to a routine. I suggest going to the gym.

-Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this article and want to read more of my writing, check out my website at dustinlietha.com