Breaking boredom

Or when a habit becomes routine

According to Tony Robbins, humans have six core needs: certainty, variety, significance, love and connection, growth and contribution.

I’ve been struggling with the first two recently: certainty and variety. I realised I’ve been so intent on cultivating productive habits over a prolonged period of time that they’ve become routine and, as a result, boring.

There’s an Eric Clapton song “Nothing thrills me anymore” which is essentially lamenting the boredom that comes when familiarity breeds contempt.

I know Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs avoid decision fatigue by wearing the same outfit every day, but come on, a passion weaver needs to mix it up a little.

I’ve realised the need for variety is just as important as the need for certainty. So while I’m keen to maintain my morning journal habit, I might need to find a different coffee shop each morning.

Julia Cameron talks about the importance of taking yourself on a regular artist’s date. Might be time to put the passion back into my creative relationship.

What can you do to inject some variety into your daily routine? Your creativity will thank you for it.