Blog Post No. 544
I’m not going to claim that after a week and one writing session that I’m back on track with my writing and editing. That’s going to be a long, slow process, especially as I have to figure out what the new job means for my writing schedule. Chances are I’m going to be doing some solo evening writing in order to keep up any reasonable schedule (and progress). I feel like I’ve taken the first step in that area, though. Now, there’s another aspect of my life that needs some attention and, if successfully added to my routine, should help just about everything.
Not to drag out the cliffhanger from the last paragraph, but it’s exercise. Like most things in my life, I find building a habit with exercise a challenge, but in the times that I was regularly active, I definitely noticed a benefit. Exercise and health are the kind of things that seep into the rest of your life in delightful and insidious ways.
The delightful shows up as more energy, more consistent sleep, and in some cases, a more positive attitude. (At leas those are some of the benefits I’ve felt in the past). The insidious is mostly just the time sink, the sore muscles, and the immediate exhaustion after working out.
With the new Day Job, I get a long unpaid lunch that I take right in the middle of the day. I’m not a big fan of eating at work, so I usually only have a protein or fiber bar, leaving a lot of extra time. Since I’m not good at using the computer and not working, I’ve started to take walks. It’s okay for now since it’s not too hot out, but once summer hits, I’ll probably stop. I don’t want to be sweaty and smelly for half my day.
While the neighbourhood is known for being a little rough, it’s actually quite nice, especially in the day. Walking the streets feels like walking through an old residential area in any town in North America. I try to take routes that bypass people but still have shade, but so far I haven’t found the perfect one.
Eventually, especially when I hide from the summer heat (and humidity) I’ll have to get better at working out at home or going for my walk after work. I don’t mind getting sweaty when I get to shower after. If everything works out the way I remember, the regular exercise should help the writing, and the double routine of writing and working out should reinforce each other. The day job is still going to be crazy busy for a while, but with a fixed schedule, I shouldn’t have the same overwhelming periods where I constantly work for weeks since there’s no one else to do it, and everything other than work has to be put on hold. At least, that’s the idea.
Ben Van Dongen 