Writing every day for 365 days, I’ve learned that the more I walk, the more I have ideas.
What’s the biggest muscle you have? Well, it would be exciting, but no, it’s not what you think. It’s your legs. The more you walk, the more you make use of your legs and the more effort you do with your body’s most prominent muscles.
Doing physical exercise is an activity that generates neurons. Yes, the more you work out your body, the more your brain grows.
Walking, in the open, in a beautiful city or the countryside or on the beach, has the additional benefit of detaching your eyes from bright screens. You see leaves, people, buildings, trees, children going to school, drivers cursing to other drivers, shop owners taking care of your groceries, birds singing, and, well, I think you’ve got it. (It’s a wonderful world).
Walking outside gives a break to your brain while regenerating its tired cells. It’s a great opportunity to have your mind wandering. Yes, of course, you will have those nasty thoughts to emerge. But looking at the horizon, enjoying the warmth of the sun while being gently caressed by a good smelling breeze, do wonder.
Acknowledge your thoughts and put them away. Or reflect on how to improve your situation. Better? OK, after a while, walking, you will start to have ideas about anything that is within your attention: work, play, love, the future, the past, a new venture, a new article, new friends, jokes, games to play with your children.
If you walk you are a different person: a calm, attentive, creative human being, listening to the environment while discovering new ideas in your thoughts.
This is Essay 13 of 30 in the my challenge One Year Writing: 30 Lessons Learned in 30 Days
- The Journey is the Purpose (16 Nov 2020)
- Writing is Thinking (17 Nov 2020)
- Write a Lot to Write Well (18 Nov 2020)
- Creative Loneliness (19 Nov 2020)
- Be Less Ambitious, Be More Consistent (20 Nov 2020)
- Writing builds your networks (21 Nov 2020)
- Connect ideas now (22 Nov 2020)
- Writing improves your memory (23 Nov 2020)
- Writing makes you a better observer (24 Nov 2020)
- Writing sets the focus on yourself (25 Nov 2020)
- Dissolve your distractions (26 Nov 2020)
- Writing reduces your jargon and slang (27 Nov 2020)
- Walking generates ideas (28 Nov 2020)
- Writing is like drinking coffee (29 Nov 2020)
- Creativity makes you happy (30 Nov 2020)
- Be smart, let it go (1 Dec 2020)
- Writing is a process (2 Dec 2020)
- Automate repetitive tasks (3 Dec 2020)
- Publish text as digital text, not images (4 Dec 2020)
- Why asking questions? (5 Dec 2020)
- Facilitate growth by tracking habits (6 Dec 2020)
- Type more, type faster, type better (7 Dec 2020)
- Transcribe your thoughts to become an effective communicator (8 Dec 2020)
- Write daily to become a better manager (9 Dec 2020)
- Do it small to do it better (10 Dec 2020)
- Don’t lose your mind. Back it up (11 Dec 2020)
- Write daily to enhance your reality (12 Dec 2020)
- If only I could be ten, again (13 Dec 2020)
- Writing compounds despite everything (14 Dec 2020)
- The habit of building habits (15 Dec 2020)
One response to “Walking generates ideas”
Memories are constantly retold in our brain and, unfortunately, they are never the same, that is why repetition and memorization help to keep them solid. The use-it-or-lose-it tendency is true as well so new neurons are generated (if you’re healthy and fit) but the organic network of all of them is continuously adapting to your experience, your health, and your memories changing. That’s why writing, recording, and walking, help.