I spend a fair amount of time in the gym each week (probably around 5 hours or so) and the more I write copy for ads or websites, the more I see how the work done in the gym is a lot like the work done on the screen or page. Here are just a few of the similarities I’ve found:

• Warming Up – So much of writing is about preparation. At the gym, if your muscles haven’t been stretched and limbered-up, you’ll risk injury, cramps, etc. Likewise, when I’m getting ready to write for the web, I always make sure I know which keywords I’m targeting and where my linking opportunities will be. Stretching the brain is an important first step before writing begins.
• Getting Started – This can be one of the hardest parts of any workout. Even after a sound warmup, before you actually start the real activity, you don’t always feel like going through with things. That’s where it’s important to remain focused. Before writing, the feelings are often the same. You just have trouble feeling the subject or direction or you aren’t sure if you have the right search optimization strategy behind the copy you’re about to write. Again, just try to stay focused, trust your ability and get started.
• Maintaining Intensity – There’s always that guy in the gym, who takes way too long between sets and sort of wanders over to the TV for long stretches while you want to use the equipment he’s using. No one wants to be that guy, but we almost all are at one time or another. The breaks between sets can really hurt your ability to progress toward your goals, and it’s the same when you’re writing or optimizing a site. Write with a purpose and keep moving forward.
• Staying Hydrated – It’s that simple. Have a glass of water and make your mother happy.
• Finishing Every Rep – Half-assed workouts won’t do you any good. Those people you see in the gym who are trying to make a walking pace look like running are only fooling themselves. Make sure you finish the job when you write the site or the ad. Review your work and question everything you’ve written. Could I put a link there? Did I use the right word? It will pay off with better results in the end.
• Cooling Down – When you’re finished with a sound workout, you take just a few moments to stretch again and let your heart rate return to normal. Now, read the page to yourself one last time before you’re sure you’re done. Don’t scrutinize this time though, but be confident and read the page as if someone else wrote it. Enjoy your writing and the job well done.
• Resting – Any weightlifter will tell you that the real work is done between workouts, when the body is rebuilding the muscle, stronger than before. That’s really the key to achieving your goals in the gym, and in the craft of writing. When you aren’t writing, read about it. Read for pleasure, read for work, and read to your kids. Sometimes the best inspiration will come from people who do it better than you.

I’m always looking to other writers for the various connections they make to other aspects of their lives and their writing, so if you have something to share about your process, please do.