I’m one of those procrastinators when it comes to exercising. When one has so many things to do (think of a life of a student), why bother exercising? Progressively, though, I’ve changed my mind.
I’ve started reading Japanese writer Haruki Murakami’s mini-biography “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running”. To him, jogging is an indispensable part of his writing routine. He usually starts his day with jogging to clear his mind, before spending the rest of the day writing.
He wrote:
“Whenever I feel like I don’t want to run,
I always ask myself the same thing:
You’re able to make a living as a novelist,
working at home, setting your own hours,
so you don’t have to commute on a packed train
or sit through boring meetings.
Don’t you realize how fortunate you are? (Believe me, I do.)
Compared to that, running an hour around the neighborhood
is nothing, right?”
I’ve realized that, if I am serious about pursuing a life as a creative, I will have to start embracing exercise. Lately, whenever I feel stressed, I go for a jog.
It’s still a work in progress, and I’m taking a step at a time.
Taken in Marina Bay area, Singapore.
I’m just about to go out on my morning bike ride and like Murakami whenever I feel like I can’t be bothered I think how lucky I am. I run my own business so can set my own hours.
Exercise definitely helps with the creative process. Highly recommended, even if you don’t feel like it.
That is so true about taking it one step at a time. Quite literally. I love running when I actually get to it but I’m a notorious slacker .. sadly I can’t really say I am as lucky as you are to be working from home. I do try to run at the weekends though, good music always helps. And I’ve recently discovered bikram yoga, a both wonderful and grueling 90 minutes that does wonders for me after a long day at work. Hoping to keep these both going for a better and fitter self.