When the old routine isn’t working anymore, and you need a new experience.
Onions have layers, or better said by Donkey in the movie Shrek “Cakes have layers.” The point being, when we experience the not so pleasant dull, mediocre routine of life, likely we are in need of getting to the next layer of the cake — we need a new flavor of life experience.
How deep in layers you want to go, is up to you. Therefore, the question remains — do you need a new experience for a new level of joy? If there were a button on the keyboard labeled “excitement”, would you desperately want to push it? If there were a button on the keyboard labeled “satisfying relationships”, would you want to push it? If there were a button labeled “fun and exciting things to learn”, would that pique your interest? If the answer to any of those questions are “yes” or even “maybe”, then keep reading because this brings me to the first step in creating a New Level of Joy.
Schedule your thinking time.
I am confident I’m preaching to the choir when I mention the fast pace most of us operate within these days. I am not referring to physical movement, rather the fast pace of distraction; digital content quickly flashing before our eyes. Everything feeling rushed.
Taking the time to pause and evaluate your level of contentment in your life is a simple decision, not always an easy action. Yet, it’s necessary if you would like to have a New Level of Joy. Set aside time to ask yourself if you could benefit from a new experience in your life. Could more levity in your day be a good thing?
Time takes time. Start Simple.
Not everything can be rectified at once. If asking yourself the question about benefitting from a new experience begins to overwhelm you because you find yourself flooded with numerous thoughts about the areas of your life that don’t measure up (according to you) — then categorize and name the area of life that stands out the most. Keep it simple. For example, let’s say your intimate relationship could use a brush up. Maybe you have been going at it for a while, and now you are finding you are bored. The thought of relationship boredom is maximizing your focus most days. This is the relationship area. So, your new decision will be in the relationship area. Other areas; health, finances, spirituality, and career.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Remember the cake analogy? Cakes have layers. Don’t eat the whole cake because you won’t be able to decipher one layer of flavor from the next. Allowing yourself to invite a new experience into your day-to-day life can be exciting and fun if we don’t overly extend the invitation. Welcoming a new experience is meant to enliven your routine, not make it another “to do” item on the already built pile of to do’s.
Referring to the relationship example, it can be as small as the two of you taking a walk on Wednesday evenings instead of engaging in another Netflix binge.
An example of biting off more than you can chew might resemble getting into therapy, figuring out the insurance coverage, arranging both of your schedules and then of course finding a therapist. They seem to be in short supply these days — and they will likely tell you to take a walk together on Wednesdays. Just sayin.
Think fun.
The idea behind bringing in a new experience is to enjoy life. It is to break the status quo of the routine. If I asked you if you like to play, what would be your answer? I have found when asking an adult this question a couple routine responses: “Yeah, BUT I don’t have time” or “What am I 10 years old?” or “What do you mean by PLAY?” Isn’t it true that everything we do is to feel better doing it. EVERYTHING. If what you are doing is no longer feeling good — remind yourself what FUN feels like. Remember. If you are walking around feeling RESPONSIBLE mostly, or TIRED often, or STRESSED out, then I bet you have forgotten how to play. You need a new decision.
Be purposeful.
Yes, reading an article on creating a new experience might hold your attention for five minutes, but it won’t create an increase in joy unless you apply it. Schedule your time to purposely create the new decision. A new decision brings a new experience. A new experience results in breakthroughs. You feel excited about changing it up. You begin to remember what it is like to try new things. You overcome areas of vulnerability, gain confidence in others. You FEEL new again. You begin to have new things to talk about. Life feels satisfying. These are only a few of the intrinsic rewards of creating a new experience.
My life experienced an upswing after I identified the feeling of dread I had when working the 9 to 5. Did I change everything overnight after I identified the dread? No. But I did start to make new decisions within my career to become a curious student about what I was doing. The curiosity with a new position held for a few years until ultimately it brought me to trusting the idea that I would be o.k. if I resigned after 20 years of service. I was making new decisions in the career area.
Why do I share this? Because enjoying the journey isn’t as simple as suddenly quitting a well-paying job; it’s about recognizing I have choices within my day-to-day routine to change it up and remain joyful while experiencing change. Change doesn’t have to be dreadful, but it does require purposeful intention. With a little bit of simplicity combined with purposeful intention you too can have a rewarding new experience.
Enjoy the Journey, you are Worth It!
