10 Ways to Make Your Day More Exciting
I must admit I love change. I realize change frightens some people, but for me, I thrive off of it. I love living in and traveling to new cities, trying new things, finding new hobbies, and mixing up my routine. Rarely do I shy away from a new experience or opportunity and sometimes it's challenging to stick with anything once the novelty wears off. But we can’t always just pick up and change houses, or jobs, or go on vacation whenever we want, so I started thinking about all the ways we can make each day exciting without changing any of the big things that need to stay constant.
Here are a few things I’ve come up with:
Read about a topic that’s new yet interesting to you or give yourself chances to learn something new even during your routine (and sometimes mundane) activities; whether reading a new magazine while waiting at the doctors office instead of texting, listening to an audiobook in the car instead of the radio, or reading a different section of the morning paper that you tend to skip over. If you keep your mind engaged, you’ll enjoy more of the minutes that would otherwise just pass by.
Say yes to more things; Think of how many more things you’ll try and opportunities that will present themselves when you just say yes!
Compliment more people that you encounter during the day and/or commit random acts of kindness; Kindness can be innate but is also a habit that can be cultivated. Focus on it daily for a month and notice the changes in your life. You’ll not only feel better about yourself, but you’ll brighten other peoples day, and see them react to you differently and treat you better.
Take a new route to work, or all the places you walk or drive to on “auto;” You’ll learn more about the area in which you live, and the change of scenery will make you feel like you went someplace new that day
Give yourself a new challenge; whether its figuring out how to fix something without calling for help or giving yourself a goal to achieve in a week, little victories are fun!
Take pictures of things throughout the day that seem interesting; It’ll make you more aware of your surroundings and appreciate the things you often walk by without truly noticing
Go away for the weekend; Even if it means camping in the next town over, staying at a friends house, or going on a day trip in the state in which you live, you’ll feel like you got a mini-vacation and a mental escape from what you do every weekend.
Change your furniture setup; whether it’s moving around your living room, placing your office desk against a different wall, or redecorating to a new color scheme, rearranging always makes that space more exciting.
Try a new recipe; many times we stick with the same meal plan, or eat out at the same restaurants. Give your palate a new taste; And making it yourself also gives you a sense of accomplishment
Start your day with a blank piece of paper; If today were my last day, what would I do differently? Try to achieve a few things on your list!
Changing little things in your daily life really does go a long way. Life can always stay fresh and exciting. We lead very busy lives, if we could only embrace the now a little more and not take life so seriously. It is a constant endeavor to be mindful and stay in the present, so hopefully some of these can help improve your days/week/months/and years. Keep improving your life, and see if you can change it day by day. When we change, we grow!
By Jackie Brodie-Craig