Episode #31 Shake Things Up

Routine and ritual are healthy rhythms of a productive life, but sometimes a change of pace and an unexpected twist are exactly what we need. This week Dr. Michael Brown and Justin Brown highlight the importance of taking risks, trying new things, and even breaking your own rules.

Show Notes

Shaking things up is not in contrast to intentionality. It’s just adding to it some innovation, some imagination, and some new ideas.
Dr. Michael Brown

Three Problems

  • Too much routine and too little variety in life can cause us to feel unmotivated.
  • When we view a routine in one dimension of life as a strict rule, it can actually have a negative impact on the other dimensions of life.
  • Some of our current routines are old and outdated, and they are no longer helping us to become the best versions of ourselves.

Three Principles

  • Rhythms and routines, though they are helpful, should never become rules.
  • Shaking things up can re-energize our productivity and reorient our outlook in life.
  • There are times when breaking our routines is actually more beneficial than keeping our routines.

Three Practices

  • Ask yourself the question: “What can I do this week that I have never done before?”
  • When you are struggling to stay motivated to do what you need to do, take intentional steps to change your environment.
  • Trick your muscles by adjusting your workout routine each month, implementing new forms of physical activity and changing the order or speed of each exercise.