Like many people, who run regularly, I keep a running log. I capture the obvious: date, distance, time, overall impressions. Since earlier this year, I also make note of the thoughts that occupied me, the ideas that emerged during the run. Much like the memory of a dream fades soon after waking, those thoughts encountered while running, can disappear, soon after returning home.

I experience some of my most useful thinking at a time, when I am not really trying to do so: when I am out, running. Sometimes this means progress on problems that had been vexing me, other times sights, smells or events out and about may trigger exploring of new, creative ideas. This seems to happen fairly naturally. You can gently guide this, but trying to force the process is probably missing an important point.

Unsurprisingly, I am not alone in this discovery. Numerous other people solve problems or think creatively during their runs.

• The Neuroscience of Why Running Clears the Mind
• Exercise might be more than good for your brain — it could make you more creative as well
• Does Running Actually Help Creativity?
• How running can make you more creative

Begin by building a running habit. If you do not like running or are not used to it, you will just spend your time out there being unhappy about it.