“Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.”
– Robin Sharma
Last week, I sat down for coffee with an old friend I hadn’t seen in years. As we talked, she told me she felt her life had become a series of checkboxes. Work, workout, sleep, take kids to activities, weekend chores—rinse and repeat.
She was on her way to work on a Monday, on the same road she had taken for the last ten years, when her tire blew out. Stranded on the roadside, waiting for a tow, she had a realization. This unexpected break in her routine was the most excited she’d felt in months, simply because it was something different.
Falling into a routine is a common trap—it starts with comfort but often leads to the mundane repetition of daily life. Slipping into a routine is easy, but escaping it? Now, that requires a bit of creativity. When you find yourself in a routine so entrenched that your relationships feel like they’re just “there”, your job hasn’t changed in a decade, and the annual 5k you sign up for feels like you’re running in circles, you know you’re stuck in a rut. It’s like life has put you on a repeat playlist—same tracks, same tempo, day in and day out.
This conversation got me thinking. So many of us enter our thirties, forties, fifties, only to find that the vibrant colors of our dreams and passions have faded into the beige backdrop of routine. If your relationship has lost its spark, seen more as a comfortable arrangement than a thrilling adventure, if your professional life feels like it’s on an endless loop, or you just feel like you’re living in the movie Groundhog Day, it might be time to shake things up.
Here are 6 ways to reclaim the thrill of living
- Roll the Dice on Your Morning Ritual: Kick off your day with a game of chance. Literally roll a die to determine your morning activity. A roll of one could mean taking a peaceful walk at sunrise, two might prompt you to breakfast instead of grabbing a piece of toast to eat in the car, and perhaps a six means you start your morning listening to salsa music. It’s a playful way to inject some spontaneity into your everyday routine.
- Send a Handwritten Note: In a world dominated by digital communication, take a minute to write a handwritten card or letter to a friend that you will send in the *gulp* MAIL! It’s a personal and thoughtful way to connect and express appreciation or encouragement. This small gesture can mean a lot to both to you and the recipient, and it rekindles a sense of personal connection that often gets lost in our digital day-to-day interactions.
- Get Lost on Purpose: Yeah, Google Maps is a godsend, but let’s ditch it. Decide your next lunch destination with a coin flip. Heads you turn left, tails you turn right. Find out where not knowing where you’re going can take you.
- Host a Disaster Dinner Party: Invite a few brave souls to a dinner where everyone cooks something they’ve never attempted before. Worst case? It’s terrible, and you order pizza. Best case? You discover your friend’s hidden talent for Moroccan cuisine. Either way, you win.
- Sleep Somewhere Strange: And no, not like your ex’s driveway. Set up a tent in your backyard, or book a night in a local Airbnb. Change of scenery can mean a change of perspective.
- Say Yes to the Next Thing You Want to Say No To: Not suggesting anything illegal or stupid, but the next time someone invites you to something you’d typically avoid—like an improv class, karaoke, or a salsa dancing meetup—just go for it. Worst case scenario, it makes a great story for the next “disaster dinner party”.
By trying a few of these ideas, you’re making a decisive move to ensure that a flat tire isn’t the highlight of your week, but just a bump in the road on your journey to a more thrilling life. Each roll of the dice, each handwritten note, is your rebellion against monotony. It’s about choosing to live deliberately and joyfully, injecting spontaneity and connection into your everyday.
So, don’t wait for life to throw you a curveball to feel the rush of excitement. Start today and drive your own change, transforming each day from ordinary to extraordinary.
Remember, YOU GOT THIS!
Jasmine Rice is a Transformation & Confidence Coach, NLP Expert, Best-selling author, and Founder of Good Things Are Gonna Come, LLC. With a passion for empowering others, she has dedicate/d her career to helping people transform their thought patterns, and thrive during life’s complex transitions. Through her integrated coaching business and supportive community, she equips individuals with the tools they need to transform their lives and take control after periods of transition.
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