As someone who is responsible for being creative, for a living, all day long (and let’s be real—I have a hard time not thinking about business in the evenings and even, unfortunately, in the middle of the night), the last thing I want to do for a hobby is be creative. I love the idea of spending my spare time learning how to hand letter or busting out my adult coloring books…but the truth is, at the end of the day, I just need to get out of my head and into my body. That’s why working out is my hobby. I used to think making time to workout was a disservice to my business but lately, I’ve been finding the opposite to be true. Here’s why:

At the end of the day, I just need to get out of my head and into my body. Click To Tweet

When you get out of your head, you make space for new ideas

We all know the best ideas come when you’re going for a walk, taking a shower, or doing the dishes.

Working out proves you can do hard things

When I started boxing, I hated it…mostly because I sucked at it. In fact, I still do. But by sticking with it, I’ve been able to prove to myself that 1) I don’t have to be the best to show up, and 2) I can do hard things. I can literally get beat up only to come back again for more. Now, I’m not suggesting you start boxing if that’s not your thing, but there are plenty of other ways to move your body that give you that mental/physical challenge.

You can’t improve what you don’t measure

This is something my strength trainer, Luke, says all the time—and he’s right. I used to run my business (and bank account) from an intuitive place. If that sounds ridiculous, it’s because it is. People who are serious about business track their progress, otherwise, they plateau. It’s the same in business—especially when it comes to your finances. (We recommend Freshbooks Cloud Accounting for measuring your income and expenses).

You learn how to push personal records…a little bit at a time

It’s easy to set big goals when you first begin working for yourself and then feel like a failure when you don’t meet those goals. I think fitness teaches us how to set big goals and then get there one pound, one second, one step at a time. For example, I want to be able to spar my boxing buddy 12 rounds in a row—right now I can make it to about four rounds. A few months ago only three…before that only two. I don’t beat myself up for not being able to endure 12 rounds from the get-go, and I don’t give up. Same with business.

You’re flexing your discipline muscle

When you can lace up your shoes and get out the door to workout even when you feel like binging on Netflix, you are not just flexing your physical muscles, but you’re also working your discipline muscle. The cool thing is you can rely on that muscle, not just in your workouts, but in your personal and professional life too—from your business habits to your morning routine. Trust.

 

If you like learning about fitness and working out for creative entrepreneurs, you might also like:

Kathleen is the co-host of Being Boss Podcast, helping creative entrepreneurs learn how to run their own creative business while being their most authentic selves. She also co-owns Braid Creative, a business visioning & branding agency for people- and purpose-driven businesses.