The cross over of building any type of practice
Writing has been the best teacher to help me understand the struggle people go through when trying to establish an exercise routine. I only started taking writing seriously about 7 years ago, and in those 7 years there’s been a lot of fits and starts. There’s been a lot of trial and error. And there’s been a lot of frustration, and wondering if I’m actually just not a good writer (jury is still out, but I’ve at least figured out how to have fun with it).
Now contrast that to exercise, something I’ve been doing consistently for over 2 decades, starting when I was in middle school. Exercise by this point comes naturally to me. It’s as automatic as flossing and brushing. I can create new routines and programs for myself with ease. I transition between different training methods and pick up new training techniques effortlessly. And there are no fits and starts. It’s only starts. I don’t make excuses for missing a day. If I miss one it’s because I have to.
And the ease at which I’m able to do all of that has made it hard for me to grasp why people, who come to me for advice, can’t seem to stick to a plan and develop an exercise routine. But all the struggles I’ve gone through to develop a writing practice that’s as resilient and sustainable as my exercise practice, has opened my eyes to why.
Habits don’t just form over night. Better doesn’t just happen overnight. They take time. I think that’s an important misconception that we all carry that ultimately leads to disappointment and discouragement when our goal or objective is not immediately met. It’s one that I carried for a long time while trying to improve my writing. Wondering why, after what felt like considerable effort, I still wasn’t a good writer, and why I struggled to even get to the page after so many years of ‘trying.’ Things like being able to revise my work, create cohesive essays, and follow basic writing structure continued to elude me.
And it’s that misconception and those struggles early on, that led me to think I’m just not cut out for this. I was quick to look past any progress, and look for a new ‘easier’ path instead, not realizing that I wasn’t giving the process a chance. That’s been the experience with my writing over the last several years. That’s been the experience with rehabbing from an achilles injury. It’s been the experience while trying to figure out what the next phase of my life would look like after deciding I was done working for someone else. And it’s something I realize I go through with just about everything new I try.
The minute I feel some friction, or as Steven Pressfield calls it, resistance, I want to retreat to safer ground. To things I know, or to test something different, hoping for an accelerated path. That friction is difficult to overcome. And when it comes to exercise, I think it’s particularly difficult for anyone who’s never had a consistent exercise routine before, and is trying to build one. Developing a writing practice has been challenging for me, but if I had to start an exercise practice at 32 (when I first began writing), I don’t think I’d be as far along in exercise as I am with writing.
For most people exercising means going somewhere. Whether that’s a gym, out to a bike path, a park, or a recreation center. It requires getting out of your house, early in the morning or late in the day. Exercise also makes you sore. Exercise can be painful while you’re doing it. Strained breathing, elevated heart rate, sweating, muscle fatigue. Exercise requires knowing what to do. Run? Bike? Strength train? Yoga? Tennis? HIIT? Hypertrophy? Basketball? Swimming? And it requires effort just to find something you like enough to stick to. It’s way more challenging than starting a writing practice.
To write, I make sure I always have a pen and notepad, and whenever I have an interesting thought I write it down. Usually I’m home when I write. Other times I’m at a cafe sipping a coffee. Pretty mild stuff comparatively speaking. But having said, that there are some similar struggles. What should I write about? How long should I write for? How do I know if my writing is any good? Why am I writing? When will I write? What will I do with my writing (I should do something with it right)?
Writing is the first new practice that I’ve tried to pick up, and it’s been enlightening, humbling, and so fucking rewarding. Just like developing an exercise practice. The benefits of writing and exercising are so worth the effort. So what are some thing that I’ve learned while developing a writing practice that I think carry over into exercise and can help someone get moving?
When you’re starting out writing it doesn’t matter what you write. What matters is showing up to the page. Julia Cameron’s morning pages, described in detail in her book The Artist’s Way, finally drove that point home for me. After 6 months of writing 3 pages of free hand stream of conscious each morning I finally got into a rhythm and went avoiding the page to looking forward to it. Many, many days I would start with something like “I don’t want to write today…,” before the flood gates would open and thoughts buried deep in my subconscious would come pouring out. The point is to just write. It doesn’t matter how ugly or nonsensical it is.
Similarly, when you’re just starting an exercise program, it doesn’t matter what the fuck you do. People who have never exercised before or haven’t exercised in a long time reap the most benefits from just doing anything. So when you’re starting, don’t worry about what type of workout you’re doing, the number of reps and sets, how long you’re training, and whether or not you’re doing it ‘right’ (although form is of course important to prevent injury), just make sure you’re doing something. Anything will be better than nothing. Show up consistently until you start looking forward to a workout.
One of the hardest things about writing is having something to write about. A lot of people use prompts. I was never a fan of prompts, but when I was just starting out I always looked for invitations to write. A lot of times that came in the form of surveys, reviews, and feedback requests. I took these seriously, and used them to practice my writing, often submitting lengthy responses about my food, my flight, or the experience I had. When you’re beginning your workout journey, look for the opportunities.
Take the stairs over the escalator, the escalator over the elevator. Park in the furthest spot away. Carry your groceries in a basket instead of pushing them in a cart. Cook as many of your meals as you can, and then skip the dishwasher and hand wash the dishes. Leave your phone in the other room, or upstairs, knowing that you’ll have to go get it when you need it. Anything to squeeze in extra steps, carry something, or just make time on your feet. It will all help build the neurological pathways in your brain that will start to change your patterns from being sedentary to active.
Technique was another hard thing to figure out. I didn’t have a writing style. I stressed out about what my writing style should be and how my ‘voice’ sounded. I discovered two ways to handle this. The first was to learn what I liked from prolific authors I respected, and what I didn’t like from ones I didn’t. So I read a lot of books (and continue to read a lot), and paid attention not only to the content of what I was reading, but the style and delivering of the message or story. I made mental notes about the things I liked, and notes about things to avoid. This is very easily replicated with exercise in today’s world. Watch people on line. Listen to podcasts. Pay attention to people in the gym who look like they’ve achieved what you’re setting out to do. Make note of what looks and sounds good, and disregard what doesn’t click. Not everything is for everyone. A key part of this journey is discovering what works for you and your body.
The second thing was doing the writing. The only way to develop a style, technique, and voice, I realized, was to write, and not be shy about it. I had to put my work out there. It usually wasn’t successful, but I always learned. I had a Medium page, that I closed. Then I had a Substack, that I closed. Then I had just my website, which at times I have shut down because of how uncomfortable I was with sharing my work. But I’ve always forced myself to keep writing, and keep publishing. It’s the same with exercise.
If you’re just starting out the only way to know what your style is and what proper technique is, is to do the exercises, follow the programs, and keep showing up no matter how uncomfortable it gets. Progress can be slow so it’s also important to celebrate the small wins. Like getting to the gym multiple days in a row. Being able to lift heavier weights, or go for a longer run. Any sign of progress should be celebrated.
The lessons I’ve learned from writing have been prolific, because they carry over into every new thing I try. With every bit of friction I feel I’m able to recognize it as normal now, and I’m able to separate friction and discomfort from being incapable. I can draw on my experiences getting my writing practice together, including all of the setbacks and frustrations and have confidence that if I stick with it it will get better. That if it’s something I really want, like the way I really wanted to be a ‘writer,’ that I need to practice consistency and patience, and eventually there will be a breakthrough. And while I’m still early on in my writing career, if I can keep it going as long as I’ve been exercising, over 2 decades, I know that one day writing will come to me as easily as stepping in the gym does. In fact it already has in a lot of ways.
Think about a habit, skill, or routine that you’ve developed in your life, and try to remember all of the challenges you faced, and the ultimate success you achieved. Exercise is no different. It requires the same consistency and dedication. Just keep at it.