Break Routine

Take A Different Route Today

I want you to do something differently today. Outside the norm. Shake things up. A small blip.

Here’s the silly thing that brought this to my mind.

I often use my evening puppy walks to think about what I’m going to write here. Develop stories in my head, consider themes, that sort of thing. But yesterday, a strange thing happened.

I stepped outside with the dog, realized it was a bit chilly, so went to my car to get a sweater and I got all tangled up between the leash and the dog and the sweater. Somehow, I ended up struggling to get my sweater on and I realized the reason was because I was trying to put my left arm in first, instead of my right like I always, unthinkingly, normally do. I have muscle memory right to left, but not left to right.

So my brain short-circuited and I had to stop and concentrate to get it on. Weird, right? Such a casual, common thing. It got me thinking, what other tiny everyday functions do we just take for granted. And once I got it in my head, I couldn’t get it out. What shoe do I put on first? How do I pour water? Which side of the fridge door do I pull open? Comb my hair, left part or right first? What pillows do I use? Which burner on the stove is a favorite? Do I have a favorite fork? How do I spread peanut butter?

We answer a million questions a day by taking a million actions a day and we barely even think about it. And when I started thinking about it, I felt sort of uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable is good now and again, especially when there’s no actual consequences. (I suppose, I could have tripped over the dog trying to get my coat on, but you know what I mean.)

So, today, I want you to consciously do some everyday task, differently. I want you to be aware. You pick. Then tell us how it felt, how it went. Be in the moment. Don’t be afraid. Break you routine. Good luck!