What You Should Change About Your Routine Moving Forward

100 Things #005 - Try Life-Tuning

Life is a constant game of learning things about oneself, applying the findings, and adapting to the results. 

Naturally, these self-discoveries we all take part in have a sort of ebb and flow, taking a number of different forms throughout the various seasons of life we find ourselves in. 

I think it’s safe to assume that the sorts of people who would find themselves reading a newsletter like this one would at least somewhat jive with the idea of learning new things about themselves, hoping to know a little bit more about their own minds than they did the day prior.  

With that in mind, I’m sure plenty of readers out there have thought about or run into the idea of habit tracking, monitoring moods, or otherwise cataloguing the experiences of their own lives to understand themselves better. Especially with the trendiness of Bullet Journaling as of late (at least I assume those are still trendy), the practice of acting as an outside observer of one’s own life, at least for a few moments out of the day, is a concept that shouldn’t seem too foreign to most.

Though, what I believe could be a new habit worth toying with is incorporating intentional micro-experimentation into one’s routine.

We all already do this to some extent. 

Nobody takes the same route to work every day.

Nobody orders the same coffee before every shift.

Nobody watches the same show every night before bed. 

There is some natural variation that occurs in our day-to-day lives, simply by virtue of external influences, unforeseen circumstances, and our own innate desire to have novel experiences. 

Whether it’s a construction site causing you to take a detour, a sudden craving for hazelnut flavouring in your latte, or a long-awaited third season of your favourite show to binge, small changes in our routines are part of what adds spice to life. 

But something to consider as well is to what extent we are incorporating experimentation outside of those moments where it would have already occurred otherwise. 

There is no inherent reason why one has to wait for a traffic jam to try out a new route for their commute. But in our efforts to be as efficient as possible, many simply opt for the trip that would save them the most time. While in most cases, this may be the sensible thing to do in order to save money on gas or spend some extra time with the kids, every once in a while, it may be of benefit to break the routine and experiment. 

Maybe there’s a scenic route that, once in a blue moon, is worth the added 10 minutes to your drive?

Maybe the coffee shop by your apartment changed the oat milk they keep in stock, finally getting rid of that brand you can’t stand, and you would have never known without considering trying something new.

Yes, some of these examples are a tad bit silly, but the principle is the important takeaway. 

We develop our habits, seeing them as the comfortable norm, leading to relatively stagnant lives, barring external influences. For some, this honestly does look like watching the same show time and time again. And while there’s no inherent issue with having a “comfort show,” these kinds of “default” days, when repeated in excess, can add up to a fairly uneventful, unfulfilling life. 

We’ve known as a species that novel experiences hold the power to slow down our individual experiences of time since the late 19th century, thanks to psychologist William James and his work on the subject. 

Why not take these findings and incorporate some micro-experimentation into your own routines, and reap the benefits of doing so?

In a way, this idea of micro-experimentation is built into the fundamental premise of this newsletter. 

What small changes can we take into consideration for our own lives, which, in aggregate, hold the potential to create richer, more meaningful lives?

Although it goes without saying, it’s important to keep in mind that not every experiment will be a hit. Remembering this helps to keep expectations in check.

Not every detour will be life-changing. Not every new Netflix show will be as mesmerizing as the last. 

It’s more about what we gain from keeping an unobstructed mind, and being willing to open ourselves up to new experiences on a regular basis.

I’ll leave you here with a few journaling prompts for those who want to do a bit of guided thinking around this topic:

• Consider the idea of intentional micro-experimentation in your daily routine. What small changes have you made recently to break up your routine or try something new?

• Think about the natural variations that occur in your day-to-day life. How do these moments of change or spontaneity contribute to your overall sense of well-being and fulfillment?

• Reflect on any fears or hesitations you have about trying new things or breaking out of your comfort zone. What strategies could you use to overcome these obstacles and embrace micro-experimentation?

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With all that off my chest, I’d love to hear if any of you decide to try out some micro-experimentation, or if you have any stories of your own previous experiences with this.

I’ll be waiting to hear about any of your insights in the email replies and the comments below.

For now, have a good week, and I’ll see you at 100.

Photo by Min on Pexels and Aleksandr on Unsplash