Work On The Fly

Fly fishing a river is one of the most meditative physical activities I have ever done.

The breeze through the hills, the bubbling river running over cobblestones, the sound of the distant waterfall.

It’s incredibly peaceful. Even with all of the details.

(Watch the trees on your back cast. Mind the wind. Put it right on the other side of the bubbles. Mend the line. Take in slack. Feel for the ever slightest bump.)

Even with all of that mental activity and attention to detail, it’s a very calming, peaceful, and meditative. Fly fishing gives my mind the space to be creative (now that I have the basics down!).

What I like to share with other business owners is that activities that are semi-automatic and physically redundant can give you the perfect environment to reimagine your business, or work through a specific problem.

There’s something to this combo. Cycling on a machine or on a flat, easy, empty path. Swimming laps in a pool. Jogging a quiet road or trail. Physical repetition, mental freedom.

Compare fly fishing a calm river to fishing on a deep-sea tuna boat, which is an exciting and highly engaged activity, requiring all of your mental energy and attention. There are literally blades and hooks flying around, people shouting, swells sending you up and down, blood everywhere – it feels more like an adrenaline-fueled battle than a silent retreat.

Tuna fishing is not fertile ground for meditation. They’re both fishing, but only one is helpful for imagination.

Slow, repetitious fishing is fertile ground for Active Creative Meditation.

What’s your activity?

Simon is author and founder of Profit Hiker: 11 Trails to gain lasting elevation in your business. Find the book right here and the program over there.