Writing is a Workout: How to Build Strength in Creativity
Minutes after my alarm went off this morning I was pulling on my sports bra, stepping into my leggings, smoothing my hair out of my face, and securing it with a hairband. Not because I was about to go work out, but because I knew without question that I’d be hitting the gym at some point today.
If there’s one thing I’ve nailed in my daily routine, it’s my workout habit. I don’t question it, negotiate with myself, or wait for inspiration to strike before hitting the gym. I just do it. It’s non negotiable.
But writing? That’s been trickier. Especially creative writing. Some days, my ideas flow like a trail run on a crisp spring morning. Other days, I stare at the blinking cursor like it’s a barbell I really don’t want to pick up. Why is it that I can show up for squats and lunges no matter my mood, but writing often feels like it requires some divine intervention?
Turns out, the key to both habits is the same: discipline over motivation.
1. Make It Non Negotiable
When I started working out consistently, I stopped treating it like an optional activity. It wasn’t, “Maybe I’ll work out today if I have time.” It was, “This is what I do.” Writing needs the same mindset shift. If you treat it as a choice, you’ll opt out on the hard days. Instead, make it part of your daily identity: “I am a writer, so I write.”
2. Schedule It Like an Appointment
I don’t just “find time” to work out; I make time. It’s on my calendar. Writing needs the same commitment. Block off time for it, whether it’s 30 minutes in the morning before the chaos begins, or an hour at night when the house is quiet. Protect that time like you would a personal training session—because, in a way, it is.
3. Warm Up Your Mind
You wouldn’t walk into the gym and start deadlifting without a warm-up (well, you could, but your back would have some strong words for you). Writing also benefits from a warm-up. Try journaling, freewriting, or even writing nonsense sentences just to get words flowing. The first few paragraphs might be clunky, but that’s okay—consider it the equivalent of stretching before the real work begins.
4. Show Up, Even When It’s Hard
There are days I don’t feel like working out. Maybe I’m tired, or the couch looks extra inviting. But I go anyway, because I know consistency is what leads to results. Writing is no different. The magic happens in the act of showing up, even when you don’t feel like it. Even if all you write is a single awkward sentence, it’s better than nothing and builds the habit.
5. Trust the Process
Progress in the gym doesn’t happen overnight. You don’t bench press 200 pounds on day one. Writing is the same way. If you keep showing up, day after day, it will get easier. Your creative muscles will strengthen. Your flow will improve. And one day, you’ll realize that writing feels just as natural as lacing up your sneakers and heading to the gym.
6. Celebrate the Wins
In fitness, small victories matter—hitting a new personal best, mastering a yoga pose, or simply sticking to your routine for another week. Writing needs the same mindset. Finished a tough paragraph? Celebrate. Completed a short story draft? Treat yourself. These small wins add up and reinforce the habit.
A Few Final Thoughts
Discipline isn’t about waiting for inspiration—it’s about creating a system that makes action inevitable. If I can make working out a part of my life without questioning it, I can do the same for writing. And so can you.
It took me years to finally build a daily writing habit, and I still struggle with it when the seasons get busy. While working out has stuck, writing has been a harder habit to solidify. Why is it that physical activity, which did not come naturally to me, has become a consistent discipline for over a decade while writing, which is arguably my strength, took longer to build?
Was I more afraid to fail at writing?
Was there more on the line for me?
Do my inner voices chatter louder about failure when I think about putting words on the page and sending them off into the void?
Do I not see the results of my efforts as tangibly from writing as I do from working out, where I feel the soreness of my muscles telling me I did something?
I broke down my muscles in the gym, so I know there will be repair and growth and new strength. What if we viewed our writing the same way? One session isn't going to give me my dream body or make me a successful author.
But showing up each day leads to incremental growth.
Habit and discipline are greater than motivation and inspiration.
And eventually I see the results of my labor in the article that I completed, or the journal that I filled, or the book that I published.
So, whether you’re building strength at the gym or on the page, the key is simple: show up, put in the reps, and trust that the results will follow. Now, go write something—your creative muscles are waiting.
How do you build discipline around your writing? Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear what works for you!
