How to move yourself Rutsville to Funsville

Every morning you get up, have breakfast, get dressed and head off to work facing the same people and problems you faced yesterday. You come home to cook dinner, get the kids off to bed and settle down for 10 minutes before retiring for the night. Then in the morning you wake up to do it all again.

Does this routine sound familiar?

If your day seems to be predictable and a duplication of the one before, then you may live in a little town called Rutsville.

Rutsville is a great place to live. Nothing ever changes. You feel safe in knowing that each day you will have the same breakfast, follow the same route to work and deal with the same issues you dealt with yesterday. The best part about Rutsville is it’s safe and comfortable because everything is predictable.

Moving to Rutsville is easy; in fact, some of you might be living there now and not even know it. We are biologically hardwired to move towards this state: It is called Homeostasis.

Homeostasis is the brains way of ensuring that everything in your body maintains balance and stability. It actively resists change.

Because of the predictive nature of Rutsville, residents often miss the opportunities for developing skills like innovative thinking, creativity, and psychological resilience. Then when faced with difficult situations, long-time residents of Rutsville do not have the capabilities or experience to deal with these situations.

What if you wanted to move out of Rutsville and live somewhere new? Somewhere that is different and fun. Somewhere creativity and innovation is encouraged and flourishes. A place that gives you the opportunity to develop into the person you were meant to become.

Why not take a trip to Funsville?

Funsville is a little village just on the outskirts of Rutsville that gets many visitors. The village provides visitors with new adventures every day. It gives them an opportunity to look at things differently, try new things and practice skills that are pivotal to success in life. It is full of energy and passion for life and no two days are the same. It is where great thinkers, innovators and leaders often go for inspiration.

So how do you get there?

Change your routine

People tend to develop well defined routines.  They come in to work at 8:00…Break at 10:00…Lunch at 12:30…break at 2:30…go home at 4:00. It is understandable that having a structured day can help promote efficient work practices. Conversely, it can also stifle innovation and creativity. When we get in a routine, we are not alert to any potential issues. Our brain is predicting that the same thing happens each day so it can safely switch off parts of the brain. Try coming in late one day, working from another desk or even from home. We tend to miss a lot of what is happening around us when we live in a routine all the time. Shaking up your routine will help you see things differently and in many cases, it may even help you identify problems that you did not know even existed.

Mix it up

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got” (Henry Ford).

On your drive into work turn left instead of right. Try making something for dinner you have never made before (Do a mystery box challenge). Take a different route on your afternoon walk. By mixing it up, your neural transmitters will awaken allowing you to turn on parts of your brain that may not have been used for some time.  You will see and feel things that you have not experience before.  You will feel more alive and engaged in life.

Be still

Our lives are so busy that our brain is constantly switched on. If it is not at work then it is constantly bombarded by information from our mobile devices. Stop what you are doing right now and just look, listen and feel what is happening around you. Look at your surroundings and the color that is all around you, listen to what people are talking about, feel the buzz in the air. This mindfulness strategy frees your mind allowing it to see things more clearly. With a clear mind, it is amazing how many new ideas arrive.

Eliminate five things

Everyone does things they do not have to do. Look around and find five things you can eliminate: Reports, meetings or mowing the lawn… anything that falls into the category of, “Well, that’s how we’ve always done things” or “why do I do this again” The more “stuff” you eliminate, the more time you have to focus on what really matters.

Have fun

Nothing shakes things up more than a little fun. We are serious in the work we do from start to finish. However, how would things go if you added a little fun in the day? Have an impromptu 1980’s quiz…Ring a bell when someone uses a word of the day…Tell a joke…Play a game of hide and seek with your family…It doesn’t matter what you do just make it fun. Having fun makes your day go faster. It is scientifically validated to reduce stress, boost the immune system and enhance brain chemistry through the release of serotonin and endorphins.

Conclusion

You do not need to rush out today and put your house in Rutsville on the market. However, take a trip down the road to Funsville and take their “Seven Day Challenge”.

Do at least one thing differently each day for a week. Yes, it may feel a little awkward at first; you may even want to go back home where it is safe and predictable. However if you persist, you will find that it becomes easier each day and before too long you will see the benefits of visiting Funsville regularly. After all, if your days seem to be long and predictable then what have you got to lose?

Want to know more about how to implement this into your daily routine? – Contact Scott today