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Running for Your Blog… (Or is that Running Away From It?)

I recently started running in the evenings as a way to get some exercise after sitting in front of the computer for hours at a time.  Now, I should tell you right from the beginning that I hate running.  I have always found it difficult and tedious, and I would much rather do just about anything else to get exercise; but my schedule doesn?t allow for team sports, I?ve never been able to motivate myself to get to the gym, and there aren?t any good bike trails near my house… so running it has to be.

You might think that blogging and running aren?t really related, but a couple weeks after I started running I noticed something interesting happen: I started getting ideas. While my body was doggedly keeping the pace and my conscious mind was focused on breathing evenly (as opposed to gasping for breath and falling to the ground in exhaustion)?my subconscious mind was running amok!

I was suddenly remembering things I hadn?t thought of in years, making connections that seemed completely random and exploring ideas I would normally dismiss out of hand.  By keeping occupied my body and my conscious mind (the Spock-like part of it that usually says ?that idea is completely illogical.?) I was giving my subconscious mind permission to follow those crazy and illogical threads and see where they ended up.

Half the time those crazy threads don?t go anywhere?they are illogical, and they drift off into the ether never to be seen again. But sometimes, sometimes… they lead to great ideas, powerful breakthroughs or keen insights.  Sometimes illogical is just what I need to give my creative process a kick in the butt.  And regardless of whether I?ve had insights or breakthroughs or a foray into the completely ridiculous, I always come back from a run feeling mentally refreshed; the exercise jump-starts my brain.

Obviously I can?t say that running is going to improve your blogging?it might not be your cup of tea.  But I can assure you that by taking regular breaks from your business and your blogging to allow yourself to zone out?and by this I mean occupying your body and conscious mind, I don?t mean sitting in front of the T.V. or surfing the internet?you will see an improvement in your work.  You will have better focus, more creativity, and clarity of mind.

So I hereby give you permission (if you ever needed it) to put down your work, step away from the computer, loosen your tie and go play.  Go run, jump, spin, stretch, daydream, brainstorm, whatever.  Utilize your body and free your mind.

(And once you?ve done that, dear reader, and you return refreshed and eager again, please come back and leave a comment letting me know which activity works for you.  For me it?s obviously running, but I?d love to hear what works for others: hiking, driving, knitting, gardening?the possibilities for the therapeutic mental zone-out must be endless.)

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Published by: Grant Griffiths

Full post as published by Blawg for Profit on July 09, 2010 (boomark / email).