January 2010 Article
Choose to Think Outside the Box

January: a new month, a new year. What will you create for this new year of 2010? I like to call this year: twenty ten. The only limitation you have on creating an amazing year is your own imagination. You have the opportunity to use your creativity which most people refer to as “out of the box thinking” to build the life you desire.

So how would one begin? First, rebelling against routine might help kick you in gear. Has your life become filled with rituals that you do over and over? Same places to eat or food you cook, same way of doing your job, same social events? You get entrenched in a rut. You know you are restless, but you cannot figure out why. When you feel restless, perhaps you are bored. So take a look at your life and see if being comfy doing the same old things the same old way with the same old people is the reason you feel like your life is dull and you are restless.

Second, if you believe your life needs an upgrade in twenty ten, then use your mind and its creative potential to make your life more exciting. Start with something simple. For example, take eating. Begin to download new recipes. Start sharing the cooking with your spouse. Let the children plan the menus and help you cook. If you go out to eat, choose a new restaurant. Change it up.

Third, after you do make a change, reflect on its effectiveness. Did what you change make any difference in your life? Were you more excited? Was the change interesting? Did you feel more alive? If not, ask yourself, “What else do I need to change?” Then choose another area of your life to creatively change. So maybe this time you change the activities in which you are engaged. Perhaps instead of going to the same Spinning class at the YMCA, you take a Kickboxing class at the new gym in town that is offering free classes to get you interested in joining. Perhaps you have never been in a card group that meets monthly. Get a few fun friends together and start a card group. Again, do a check and see if what you have changed in your life has made a difference in how alive you feel?

So you can choose to think outside the box about your life or not. If you choose to think outside the box, you will notice that you get more excited. When you get more excited about your life, you feel more alive. When you feel more alive, you feel more satisfied with your life. When you are satisfied with your life, you are happy. So choose to think outside the box.