The Day I Realized Music Was Stealing My Ideas

I had been fighting with myself for months, telling myself I was going to start exercising before my weight got out of control.

Every night I would say, "Tomorrow's the day."

Tomorrow came and went more times than I care to admit.

Finally, I drew a line in the sand. First thing in the morning. No eating. No snoozing. No excuses.

I got dressed quickly so I had no chance to change my mind and headed out the door.

It was a nice morning. Not too hot. Not too cold.

Cell phone in hand and headphones in my ears, I began to walk.

The Song I Didn't Choose

After a few minutes, I realized there was a song playing in my head.

The strange part was, I hadn't even gone to YouTube to start a playlist.

I didn't even like the song, and I wondered how it got there.

I wanted it gone, but I didn't want to mask it with something else, so I waited.

I sat in the uncomfortable silence of my own mind until something strange happened.

The song disappeared.

But what replaced it was better than I could have hoped for.

My creativity.

I started thinking about ideas and projects I hadn't thought about in weeks, maybe even months. Without distraction, my mind started putting pieces together. I began formulating my day, planning my objectives, and thinking about where I wanted to take my business.

It Wasn't the Music. It Was the Noise.

Then it dawned on me.

At first, I thought music was stealing my ideas.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized it wasn't really the music.

It was the constant noise.

Instead of giving my own mind the space to think, I was filling every quiet moment with someone else's words, someone else's ideas, someone else's message.

Whether it was music, YouTube, podcasts, or social media, I was always consuming.

I wasn't giving myself the opportunity to create.

Silence Breeds Creativity

I continued walking, planning, brainstorming, and feeling consumed by this newfound creative energy.

I noticed people passing me, which usually throws me into my association game where I connect everything to something else. That's just how my brain works, and it's one of the reasons I struggle to stay focused.

But this time was different.

Without all the noise, it was much easier to catch myself wandering and bring my thoughts back to what mattered.

That surprised me.

I honestly believe that being forced to exist in your own silence breeds creativity, and exercise is the spark that ignites it.

The two together are a winning combination.

Give Your Mind Permission to Be Quiet

I'm not saying you should stop listening to music.

Music has its place.

But I am suggesting that maybe we've become too uncomfortable with silence.

We've become so used to filling every spare second with noise that we've forgotten what it's like to simply think.

The next time you decide to go for a walk, head out for a run, or jump on the treadmill, leave the playlist behind.

Give your mind permission to be quiet.

You might discover that your best ideas weren't missing at all. They were just waiting for you to stop drowning them out.