Break the habit; a world of ideas is waiting for you.

I walk into Starbucks and without thinking I place my order, a Grande in a Venti cup iced Starbucks Double Shot with two Splendas, non-fat milk, and room. I guess there is only one way to put this – I am a creature of habit! I know I am not alone; most people follow a daily routine and are creatures of habit. Perhaps you, too, drink the same coffee every morning, or you wake up every morning, read the newspaper, drive to work, read your emails, and then get on with the tasks you need to accomplish.

NPR recently published a story, Habits: How They Form And How To Break Them. In the article, New York Times Business Writer Charles Duhigg explains:

As soon as a behavior becomes automatic, the decision-making part of your brain goes into a sleep mode of sorts. ‘In fact, the brain starts working less and less,’ says Duhigg. ‘The brain can almost completely shut down.’

So, if you are driving to work, the same way you drive every morning, your brain goes into voluntary mode, and you no longer have to think about what you are doing. While this may mean you can devote mental activity to thinking about other things rather than which intersection you need to turn at, it also means that you are no longer trying new things, taking new routes to work. Exploring new and different things helps spark creativity, but you will need to make a conscious effort to break your routines to allow this to happen. It may be challenging to go against your routine and break a habit, but once you do, you may find a new world of ideas!

Here are some ideas of things you can do to change routine and spur your creativity.

Try something new… Go somewhere new.

Sometimes I find myself in the kid’s section in Barnes and Noble. What better way to get ideas than being surrounded by all sorts of pink princesses, and books from my childhood that spur all sorts of memories?

Explore your wild side.

This past Sunday I spent some time at a local park with my family – my parents, married siblings, and my four nieces. After running after my three year old niece, I look up to find my father zipping down the slide on the kids playground – after I got over my initial thought – “how embarrassing!” I just laughed. It is a memory I will hold onto; it is also an experience that triggered various thoughts!

Take a new route.

Recently I was driving home from work, and decided that since I had a few minutes I would try a new route home. I took a turn not really knowing where it would lead me. I followed the road and was intrigued by seeing the new areas. I found my mind wandering in places I know I would not have if I traveled the same way.

Have other ideas? Please share in the comment section!

– Michelle Loeb, social media and content strategist

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