Lessons on Physical Exercise Gleaned from the Experience of Writing
From Couch Potato to Fitness Enthusiast: A Writer's Journey
In a fascinating exploration of personal growth, author [Name] has drawn parallels between their writing journey and their recent foray into fitness. This approach, they believe, holds the key to achieving fitness goals by shifting mindset and behaviour to align with desired habits.
Having graduated summa cum laude from Baker University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Creative Writing, and Sociology, the author is no stranger to the written word. As a writer of both fiction and nonfiction genres, they have published at least two novels as an entrepreneur and contribute guest posts to various platforms. Yet, their active childhood, marked by basketball, cheerleading, volleyball, and competitive horse riding, took a pause around the age of 14 or 15. A coach who played favourites and a broken arm put a halt to their physical pursuits.
Fast forward to recent years, and the author is once again trying to get back into exercise. They've found a source of inspiration in a middle-aged man named Stair Master Guy, who consistently exercises at the gym. This time, however, their approach is different. Instead of viewing exercise as an obligation, they've embraced the identity of "someone who exercises."
This identity-based motivation, they argue, strengthens habit formation and goal pursuit. By seeing exercise as part of who they are, they sustain the behaviour more effectively than those focused solely on outcomes. The author applies a productive writing system to their gym sessions, scheduling, planning, focusing, and avoiding self-criticism.
Mindset, the author believes, is crucial in both writing and fitness. A positive, self-compassionate mindset fosters resilience and persistence necessary to overcome challenges in fitness or creative work. To maintain this mindset, the author tracks their daily word counts in a spreadsheet and visualizes their progress.
A personal development plan or vision statement, like those used by writers to clarify goals and values, guides the author's fitness actions. Regular exercise builds inner confidence and positivity, reinforcing self-identity as a capable, disciplined person—similar to how writers gain confidence through regular practice.
The author also emphasizes the importance of adjusting exercise plans to one’s needs, mirroring how writers adapt techniques to overcome barriers. This approach emphasizes sustainable progress rather than perfection.
In summary, adopting an identity aligned with the goal (e.g., "I am a writer" or "I am someone who exercises") and reinforcing it through written goals, visualization, and positive mindset strategies profoundly supports achieving fitness goals by fostering intrinsic motivation and consistency. This approach, the author believes, is a powerful complement to technical planning and physical training.
The author's writing covers a variety of topics, including writing craft. They plan to apply a similar weekly system for exercise progress tracking, seeking accountability and encouragement in having a partner for both writing and exercise goals. With this mindset, they are confident they can go from a couch potato to a routine exerciser, drawing parallels with their writing journey.
Drawing upon their extensive experience in writing, the author is intent on applying the same strategies to their fitness journey. By adopting an identity as a fitness enthusiast, they aim to leverage mindset and behavior modification to achieve their goals in both health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise.
In light of the success they've experienced in writing through positive self-talk, visualization, and accountability, the author plans to employ these same tactics to foster intrinsic motivation in their pursuit of fitness, ultimately transforming their lifestyle toward a healthier, more active one.
