How Recording My Thoughts While Exercising Boosted My Productivity and Creativity

I've spent the las few weeks running and biking while hooked up to a lapel mic and pocket recorder.

The author, Sean Openshaw, takes off for a recorded bike ride. (Photo by Sean Openshaw).

Imagine unlocking a flood of creativity and clarity simply by recording your thoughts while on a run or bike ride.

That’s exactly what happened to me.

The act of taking the jumbled thoughts in my head and forcing them to come out of my mouth has helped create a lot of clarity around what’s in my head and what I want to say.

The process is simple: Clip on a lapel mic, stuff a recorder in your pocket, hit record and take off for a run or bike ride. When you get back, use AI to transcribe and sort out what you talked about.

Start with one idea or problem to solve.

I’ve discovered that it’s important to enter these recording/exercising sessions with one idea or topic to explore.

While recording random thoughts can be productive, the most insightful moments came when I force myself to stay on topic. It’s the sessions where my mind is forced to visit, revisit, and even get bored with the idea that I stumble across new insights and perspectives. Acknowledging the randomness in my head and then returning to my intention and focus is really the idea for mindfulness and active meditation.

One of the biggest eye-openers has been the sheer number of insights and original ideas I’ve left out on the trail for so many years.

Running, biking and swimming have always been the place I’ve enjoyed being alone with my thoughts, but I’ve always just left my thoughts out there on the trail. Rarely do they end up coming home with me because I often forget everything I was thinking about or don’t take the time to write them down when I got home.

Working through the ideas in my head during these sessions has created clarity, focus and retention that I haven’t experienced before.

Sure, I sit down daily to write in my journal and carry a notebook to capture general thoughts or story ideas. Still, nothing has been as productive as these hour-long exercise sessions, during which I think, talk, and stay focused on a particular thought.

I’ve really loved the content and articles that have come out of these exercise sessions.

I’ve supercharged my writing and gained clarity and perspective in a condensed time frame. I’m left with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and excitement, and I can’t wait to see what I come up with next. These productive exercise sessions have become a game-changer for me.

Becoming Comfortable with Being Recorded

While re-listening to the recordings when I’m out rambling, I noticed how I mutter, slur my words, and talk too fast without enunciating.

But I’ve also become more comfortable with the red record button being on and flashing.

It’s similar to the discomfort I feel when thinking about recording myself on video for YouTube videos that I’d eventually like to create. Knowing that I’m being recorded has gotten me comfortable with the idea that I’m being recorded, and I’m excited to be even more at ease with it as I continue this practice.

Another thing I’ve become more comfortable with is the pauses between ideas.

I don’t feel the pressure to fill every moment with a thought or my voice or to use filler words like “us,” “ahs,” “like,” and “you know.” I’m okay with letting my thoughts and ideas sit there in the open without having to fill in the gaps.

Recording myself regularly has helped me get accustomed to hearing the sound of my voice.

It’s a process that initially felt awkward, but with practice, I’ve grown more at ease. I look forward to further developing this comfort as I continue this practice and eventually expand to recording videos.

Incorporating AI in the Writing Process

I’ve been impressed with how helpful AI has been in this exercise (pun intended).

When using AI in the past, the text it created felt as fake as an overproduced, photoshopped image.

While the text it generates is pretty impressive, it lacks the soul and life of a human writer. But when prompted correctly, AI has helped me speed up my workflow by synthesizing my thoughts, ideas, and topics, using 100% of my words, accurately maintaining my voice, personality, and tone, and creating content around my ideas that has stayed true to what I actually said.

Almost everything in this article, including the long previous paragraph, is 100% quoted from my last biking session.

AI is to writing that digital is to photography.

What is striking is the similarities between photography and writing.

In the old days, photographing a moment was a manual and expensive process.

You had to buy the film and take the pictures blind, not knowing if they were exposed correctly, composed correctly, or captured accurately. Then, you had to pay to process the film, and once you got it back, you had to manually place them in physical albums.

While the process was therapeutic and full of chance, art, and creativity, it wasn’t available to everyone, and there was a massive barrier to entry.

But I truly believe that what digital photography has done for capturing moments, AI will do for writing.

Back in the good old days, the only way you could see the kind of photography that was trending or the amazing work of other content creators was to literally go to the library to look at what other newspapers in the country were doing, or spend hours at a book story looking at fashion and photography magazines to be inspired by other photographers.

And with all the photo sharing apps like Instagram and Facebook, with all the emphasis put on new ways to create images, the level of photography, even from the most amateur, inexperienced creator, is mind blowing. It’s no wonder that the market is so saturated with amazing photographers and that it’s difficult to make a living doing what used to be a very elite profession.

I think AI is going to do the same with writing – enabling writers of every level to up their game and produce next-level writing.

So, this has probably been one of the biggest takeaways from this exercise of recording my thoughts and ramblings, transcribing them, and organizing the ideas using AI.

I’ve supercharged what I’ve learned about writing and improved my writing skills. And I can’t wait to see what I come up with next.

Gratitude and Anticipation

Reflecting on this process of recording my thoughts during exercise, transcribing them, and using AI to synthesize and organize my ideas, I’m left with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and excitement.

I’ve gained clarity and perspective in a condensed time frame, and I’ve been able to generate content and insights that I’m truly proud of.

It’s exciting to think about the possibilities this process opens up.

I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface of what I can create and discover by combining my own voice, physical activity, and the power of artificial intelligence. This practice feels like a game-changer, and I believe it will help me continue to grow as a writer, thinker, and creator.

The possibilities feel endless, and I’m eager to keep exploring, discovering, and creating.

Call to Action

If you’re intrigued by the idea of supercharging your own creativity and productivity, why not give this a try?

Next time you head out for a run or bike ride, bring along a recording device and capture your thoughts.

Focus on one topic or idea and see where it takes you.

Don’t worry about how you sound—it’s all about the insights you’ll discover.

And if you’re open to it, consider using AI tools to help transcribe and organize your thoughts.

You might just unlock a whole new level of clarity and creativity.

Happy recording!

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Sean Openshaw is a photographer, cinematographer, writer and storyteller from Flagstaff, Arizona. His website, SeanOpenshaw.com, features some of his work.