Variety is the spice of life, so even the most inventive people get bored now and then. Eating habits, exercise routines, work and even relationships can become rote and lifeless without new challenges and activities to mix things up. However, if your fear of the new and different keeps you from experimenting in any area of your life, you could be missing out. Bigtime.
Don’t worry. Trying new things does not have to equal Revolution. There’s no need to turn your world upside-down to avoid boredom. However, even small changes, like incorporating new ingredients into your favorite meals or taking a trip with your loved ones can alter your perspective and change the way you view your life. And change is good.
The following are just a few suggestions (the list is, truly, endless) for introducing a little excitement into your life to help you stay motivated and passionate.
Start Small
Changes that impact your quality of life can be as simple as keeping fresh flowers in a vase on your kitchen table and changing them out each week, or as involved as jet-setting to Europe for a week-long getaway. Depending on your budget and interests, you have the power to craft the perfect plan. Want to tickle your tastebuds and break out of a food rut? Pick a spice and cook with it in different dishes every day for a week. Looking to stimulate your mind while you exercise? Download mp3’s of a novel you’ve been wanting to read and listen while you power walk.
Make Room For Change
Doing things differently, in any area of your life, means making space for change. Mental space allows for the idea of change to come forth and breathe. So before you take deliberate action, ask yourself: what would I like to see happen differently? If you want to see the world, focus on travel. If your workout is dull as dirt, jot down what you’d rather do instead. If you haven’t dated in years and want to start testing the waters, write that down too.
Any positive change you make can set off a positive chain reaction.The first step? Believing change is possible. If you’ve already undergone weight loss surgery, you know transformation is possible and requires only the desire to make it happen.
Devil’s Advocate
Advance planning is key. In our heady, internet-focused society, we face a deluge of advertising, entertainment, shopping, as well as social media engagement, all begging for our attention. All of this media and fast-paced living can create unnecessary stress that takes the place of productive change.
Brian Bailey, a writer for the blog Buffer, encourages us to spare ourselves the pressure of introducing variety in stressful situations. Don’t try to dream up a creative meal when you come home from a hard day at work. Rather, calendar your meals for the week and include taste-bud tantalizing alterations in the plan.
Spicing up your life need not be a massive challenge. Rather, small, deliberate changes can make all the difference. Focus on altering the way you approach change and the changes themselves will fall into place as you open up to them.