Keeping up the momentum
As I note in a tandem Write Strong post, no, this blog is not extinct. As I’ve warned, it simply is one of the first things to get scratched off the to-do list when other work or writing efforts ramp up-which they have been, in a good way, over the past few months. Freelance work is building up, I’ve attended a few conferences/conventions, have made headway in a latest manuscript, submitted another to the Angry Robots Open Door contest, and quite a lot else.
One fun thing I wanted to note alongside this quick touch-base is another way I’m adding some “momentum” to my writing. By doing it while on a treadmill.
Yup. It’s not one of those fancy $4,000 treadmill desks you can purchase. Instead, it’s a treadmill off craigslist with some cut-to-size foam and particle board slats acting as my desk. Only a few days into it, my legs are whining a bit, but so far it’s a positive addition to the work day.
Ever since the three jobs I held through college-retail, restaurant, hotel, respectively-I haven’t had one where I wasn’t sitting at a desk eight hours a day for nearly six years. Plus, since I write a good bit in my free time (and game), that means the majority of my days are spent sitting.
I’m sure we’ve all seen those reports stating something to the effect of, “IF YOU SIT ALL DAY YOU’RE GONNA DIE!” Technically, this is what eventually what happens to people who stand all day too. Yet it’s the subtext of “you’ll die sooner and with more health complications” that makes it more something to pay attention to. Plus there are plenty of benefits that go along with even a slightly more active lifestyle. I also enjoy walks and am finding myself a bit more focused when I step on to work.
Even at a slow, steady pace, I can get in a few extra miles of walking a day which, hopefully, will add up over time.
Do you find ways to break free from your desk? What’s your cure?
I know of someone who had a standing desk custom built. It seemed like a brilliant idea to me.
Walking and writing at the same time. I can't even type and chew gum at the same time. You are very ambitious! I do try to walk at least 2-3 miles a day and have some very good ideas while walking.
It's easier than it sounds. I keep it a smidge above a mile an hour and I find it feels decently natural without distracting my work focus. I too have often taken walks when stuck on plot points or brainstorming a story, so maybe this'll be the best of both worlds.
I like to use one of those large exercise balls as a chair. It helps me focus on my posture and works out the buns too!
Tried to use one of those balls once. Kept bouncing on it and getting distracted. Oddly, walking doesn't do that to me.