Paradise Meadows Trail
Since I’ve been up to my eyeballs trying to figure out the next steps in my writing life —and getting confused as to which direction to take—I took a break and went for a hike.
What always boggles my mind is how refreshed I feel after a walk in the woods, and why I don’t do it more often. Staring at greenery instead of at a computer screen calmed my mind. Breathing fresh air and moving my limbs out of doors worked wonders for my brain. I returned to my desk with a renewed spirit.
It turned out that marvelling at snow packs on the mountains, wild flowers by the trail, and whiskey jacks energized me for another look at the query letter I’ve been submitting for my novel. 
It’s as if those moments on Paradise Meadows—you couldn’t ask for a more perfect name—helped me see the flaws in my pitch to agents, ones I hadn’t seen before. Maybe there was too much clutter, not only on my desk, but in my mind. I got rid of some extraneous that(s) and the(s) plus a few modifiers and clauses. Even a sentence or two.
I now realize, just like I have post-it notes by my computer to remind me of what I need in my stories, I need post-it-notes to remind me to take a writing break to de-clutter my mind.
I wonder what other ways writers have found to de-clutter their minds. This one works for me, but I’m open to other suggestions.
I always get my best ideas in the shower and I am taking longer showers now. A good walk outdoors always helps too. I found I had too many post-it notes around so I downloaded an app for it on my Droid.
What a great idea. Your app instead of post-it notes would certainly reduce the clutter.
I run – fast. I have found that the faster or busier my body is, the slower my mind goes. All the extra noise and thoughts filter out and the truly important thoughts linger and streamlines into something manageable.
Thank you for your comment. I’d forgotten about the pleasures of running. When I used to run, before my right knee gave out, the beta endorphins would kick in and the world became rosy. Anything aerobic would have the same effect.