Have you ever realised the freakish similarity between writing and fitness?
As a fitness fanatic and a commercial writer, there has always been a thin line in my regimen for both. Personally, over the last few months, writing a well organised research report and doing a pushup were my two main goals. Initially, these goals seemed as different as chalk and cheese. Over time, it struck me that the two processes took a parallel route.
Setting goals
When I began my process of writing or practising a pushup, the goals were relatively vague. Completing the report in two months. Mastering the perfect pushup by the end of summer. Going along with the process, I realised the importance of breaking down goals. Setting realistic expectations for oneself is crucial. Define major goals by setting micro goals. Write your goals down. Stating it on a piece of paper or your computer is the step that follows goal creation. Breaking my goals into minor ones, be it finishing one chapter in two weeks or working on my upper body for a week was still not the end of the micro goal process. The goal may keep breaking down into a smaller one. Finally, four hours for two pages every day and 10 knee pushes a day, are the micro goals that my process began with. It is the cumulative of these smaller goals, that helps achieve the larger ones.
A dedicated space (or not)
The corner on my study desk with a cup of coffee felt like the only essentials needed for good writing. Hitting the right spot with those dedicated spaces makes or mars the process. But when things change around you, things change inside you. Stepping out of your comfort zone, literally, could do wonders for a change of headspace. Whenever a wave of monotony hits me, I either take my writing to the balcony or do an outdoor workout instead of the usual indoor one.
Experiment & Explore
An experiment in the beginning but familiarity over time makes the current process a forte. Testing the waters can seem intimidating. However, without trying a hand at different styles, you could be on the fence about your options and capabilities. Writing anything but short stories was always out of question for me. But when I started exploring areas of fitness, from yoga to strength training, and from cardio to dance fitness, I decided to translate this process into my writing routine as well. Trying out anything other than short stories seemed like a daunting task at the moment. On exploring domains like articles and research paper writing, I realised that my aptitude for the latter was more than I had ever fathomed it to be.
Make time
Don’t do it in your free time, free your time to do it. Not finding time to do something reflects its priority. Making time to write or exercise instead of practicing it here and there, instills a sense of dedication. I set aside one hour each day for 5 days a week when it comes to fitness. Even while writing the report, I would set aside 3-4 hours everyday instead of trying to type in a few paras during my breaks. Sticking to the process for the first week was exciting, second was challenging and after the third, it started becoming a habit. Committing to the task for a minimum of 21 days helps establish a successful routine.
Consistency
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