Writing and sports are two activities that don’t seem to have in common at first glance. Well, in reality, it’s quite a misconception. Creative work and physical practices have more shared skills and traits than one can count. Overall, everything one learns in sports, they can use in their creative work. Here are five examples of how sports can help you with writing skills.
Greater concentration
Focus is very important in creativity and writing. Fortunately, young writers have already learned the importance and ability to focus from their training sessions. Ultimately, athletes have to concentrate on their essential tasks to succeed in training and competition. In fact, physical exercises connect the mind and body like no other activity. You have to mind your surroundings and yourself while also striving for precise movements.
These practices may also serve a great concentration training. One you can use later in your creative work. Unfortunately, writers often struggle with maintaining their focus and attention while working. Well, those who practice sports will have a better time staying in a focus zone as long as it’s needed.
Enhanced problem-solving skills
Professional athletes should know all about problem-solving. After all, they have to compete with hundreds of other students everywhere. Striving to be the best comes with a lot of thinking. Practicing hard is not enough. Everyone does that in each sport. You also have to act smart. Analyze your competitors; grow in your talents; improve; work on your weaknesses, etc. Only this way does one have a chance to beat others in their game. The sport requires a lot of smarts and problem-solving skills.
Creative work is just the same. Writers will encounter many challenges on their way to success. You will have to think about character development, plot twists, and the best implementations of your idea. It’s a lot. Not to mention that you will also have to think of pitching your works. Boy, what an obstacle race that is. There is when your problem-solving skills will be on hand, for sure.
Fortunately, sports teach young people to never give up and always search for a solution. Athletes know that hard work, analytical thinking, and even some cunning can get you far.
Higher self-esteem
You have to believe in yourself to train like that every day of your life. One can’t enter the competition without believing they can win this. Such a belief doesn’t appear from thin air. Athletes work hard to be the best in their sports. They dedicate a lot of time and energy to training. In return, those hours in the gym help build the confidence and self-esteem that are so needed in the professional world of sports. However, it’s like these efforts disappear in real life.
On the contrary, young athletes learn to believe in themselves and thus always strive for positive outcomes. They know what they are capable of and are ready to work for it. It helps them approach life challenges with more confidence. The same goes for creative work.
One can’t write without confidence. Writers have to be vulnerable in their creative expressions. It’s the only way to create meaningful, honest texts. However, many aspiring writers tend to doubt their abilities or talents. Well, sports lessons will help young people overcome such fears and build stronger self-awareness and higher self-esteem.
Passion and dedication
Athletes can’t live without their sports. They have to be incredibly passionate about what they do. Otherwise, they just won’t be able to achieve any high results. Passion is their motivation and inspiration. They work hard and train daily not only for the set goals and victories. No, they just can’t imagine doing something else instead.
Such strong passion can’t just stay contained in one aspect of their lives. Of course, it affects most athletes’ activities, including their creative work. In fact, having such strong passion and dedication in life promotes their creative urges and self-expression. Writing can be a perfect tool to use those excess emotions and direct them into a creative realm.
Strong self-discipline
All athletes must have strong self-discipline to endure long training hours and the psychological pressure of competitions. Sure, it doesn’t mean athletes never skip a training session or contract writing services with messages like, “Can you write my essay for me cheap, please?” But, of course, they are still people. They can enjoy a day off and entrust some of their tasks to the professionals. Still, it’s fair to say that athletes know best the price they pay for falling behind or not working on top of their game. It’s one thing to need a break. It’s a whole other thing to struggle with self-discipline. Fortunately, the latter is not about professional athletes.
So, such strong self-discipline applies to all spheres of their lives, including creative work. It’s a myth that creative people can succeed while being horribly disorganized or undisciplined. The reality is quite the opposite. One needs to keep things and thoughts in order to complete any creative project. Thus, creative people can benefit from tough self-discipline in the field. Now, they can maintain their creative routine, set clear goals, keep their focus, and get the job done. It’s a rare talent when you are only an aspiring writer. Fortunately, they already have the foundation of such practical skills granted by their athletic experiences.