Enjoying life is about embracing change. However, humans are a contradiction of this because we are creatures of habit. Think about how you start your day. Do you not have the same routine? Do you drive the same roads to work? Do you go to the same restaurants, order the same foods off the menu? After awhile you feel like a hamster on a wheel. It is hard to find enjoyment in life when the routine is always the same. Life needs spice.
There’s a phrase that says “if you continually do what you’ve always done, you’ll continually get what you’ve always got.” Why would you think your life is going to be any better, any more enjoyable if you do the same things you did yesterday, today? Boredom, routine and complacency are all enjoyment killers. They suck the life right out of you. When we get stuck in a rut by doing the same things over and over, enjoyment is out of reach.
We are always pushing children to try new things and thus have more enjoyable experiences. We buy them new toys, we take them to new places, and we encourage them to try new foods, play a new sport and so on. However, when was the last time that you tried something new?
How many times have you come home after a long day and just sat on the couch all night watching TV? At the end of the evening as you drag yourself off the couch to go to bed (if you haven’t already fallen asleep on the couch!) you say something like: “What a waste of time. I had so many other things I could have done.” We all do this from time to time, the frustrating part is when we come home the next day and the next and do it again. I can’t even begin to tell you how many people have told me over the years that they just got stuck in this pattern and then didn’t know how to break it and improve their lives.
In order to have more enjoyment in your life, you need to break the routines that have a negative pull on you and force yourself to make new decisions. It’s like wiping the slate clean.
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A Team Human Conversation
Fight workplace zombies in your organization and join Team Human! Gather a group of fellow workplace zombie hunters to discuss our most recent blog post. Use the questions below to kick-start your conversation.
What are your routine traps?
What are ways you can break these routine traps?
Describe a time when you tried something new or stepped outside of your comfort zone. How did you feel?
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