[Tweet ““If you think adventure is dangerous try routine. It’s lethal.” ~ Paulo Coelho”]
For me variety is the spice of life. I like every day to be different and I’ve always tried to avoid falling into habits and routines. So when I had my little boy, almost two years ago now, I’m the first to admit that being at home all day and juggling feeds, nap times, nappy changes, and everything else that a new baby brings, took some getting used to.
As any new parent knows, having a tiny little person relying on you for everything is hard work. You’re no longer have the freedom you used to. Even the simplest task, like meeting friends for coffee, requires an element of forward planning and spontaneity gores out of the window. Within weeks I developed my own little way of doing things. I was in the motherhood groove and and before long I had a routine!
My husband and I were in Brighton when I realised just how much of a creature of habit I’d become. It’s amazing how much clarity a change of scene can bring. Being by the sea, exploring a new city, and escaping the ‘daily grind’ left us both feeling inspired, refreshed and re-invigorated.
Getting a new perspective
Zack was now a few months old and having adapted to being parents things were becoming much easier. We realised that while there are always going to be jobs to do, and obligations and responsibilities to fulfil, life doesn’t have to feel like Groundhog Day.
Exploring a new city
On the journey home we agreed that while some routines are helpful and even necessary, especially for Zack, others had seen us get too comfortable and complacent. So we decided that some things needed to change.
Things that changed after our trip:
- I left my 9-5 and started writing part-time for Do What You Love. Now I’m free to work wherever and whenever I choose and to do all the things I love – be a mum, go running, do yoga, and be creative. Embracing new opportunities and connecting with interesting new people is part of the job so no two days are ever the same. I want Zack to grow up understanding that my work makes me happy and that I have my own hopes and dreams.
- We stopped complaining about how much time we waste watching TV and now, instead:
– we limit the amount of TV we watch
– we have regular date nights
– we have dinner as a family and talk
– we socialise more in the evenings with family and friends
– we spend more of our free time being creative and working on our own passion projects
- We looked at our finances to see where we could cut back and save money for a weekend away every few months.
- We both started doing more exercise. I joined a gym and my husband started running with colleagues at work.
- We made a 5-year plan that will help us live the life we really want and create our own special memories along the way.
10 simple ways to shake up your routine today:
- Change your schedule. Get up with the sun and take an early morning walk. You’ll see your world differently, sense different emotions in the people you meet and hear different sounds.
- Change your style – do your hair or make-up differently or experiment with clothes to find a new look.
- Commute a different way to work, or instead of going by car take the bus, train, walk or cycle.
- Take a class or a course in something you’re interested in, who knows what doors may open.
- Pick a different place to hang out. If you meet friends at a local bar, try a local restaurant. Or do something different – go to a sporting event watch a gig or have a dinner party.
- Have a conversation with someone new. Make this your daily mission and who knows, you might make a friend for life!
- Make more of your lunch break. Go to museums, try new restaurants, meet a friend, walk in the park, do something you’ve never done before or go somewhere you’ve never been before.
- Have a mini-adventure at the weekend. Do a road trip, go hiking or camping or explore a new city.
- Be inspired and get creative. Watch this playlist of TED Talks to kickstart your creativity, or read this excerptfrom Pico Iyer’s TED Book, The Art of Stillness.
- Take a day off and give yourself permission to do anything you want. Go for a long, solitary walk; write poetry; bake; go shopping; read a novel; watch a blockbuster; paint; make something for a friend; have a picnic in the middle of nowhere and then lie in the grass and look at the clouds.
[Tweet “Have you ever felt stuck in a rut?”] Do you follow the same routine, day in, day out? What small changes could you make to mix things up today?
Rachel
The Do What You Love e-course will help you ditch bad habits and boring routines, and lead you to see what you really want (or need) more clearly.
“I am now far more open to ideas and willing to say yes to opportunities. I think, well, what’s the worst that can happen?!” Shona W., Do What You Love participant, Jan 2015
Join us this June for the experience of a lifetime.
