Habits have value in that they reduce the amount of time and energy we have to devote to making decisions. Habits make life easier and more predictable. I have many habits, and I bet you do too.
On the down side, habits can make life seem dully repetitive. Also, we can get in a behavioral rut that leads nowhere.
A few days ago a student told me that she planned to wear a skirt to campus for the first time in her three years at the university. She encouraged me to do something different the same day. Aha, I thought: a challenge! Who can resist that? I decided to play a single note on my harmonica for everyone with whom I spoke that day.
The student wore a short purple skirt and looked like a model. I played my one note. When I did that, I explained that I had declared the day “Do Something Different Day.” My novel behavior seemed to be graciously accepted, although I can imagine someone ticking an “eccentric” box next to my name.
I would like to have another Do Something Different Day. If only I could get my hands on a kilt…
What would happen if you did something different today? Sometimes, one change leads to another — you might end up a slightly different person. Does that sound like fun?
John Malouff, PhD, JD, Assoc Prof of Psychology
I’ve sometimes set an exercise for clients to “be mischievous” once a day. They have to determine what mischievous would be for them, and do it. It sounds very much like your “Do Something Different Day”. These clients are of a nature that needs to plan such activities, spontaneity not being their strong point. The challenge is to do something different every day for a couple of weeks.
They get it … “Oh, you just wanted me to loosen up and have some fun”. They had an internal experience and often an external validation of change. The purple skirt is a great example.
My favourite is when one client purchased a really expensive stereo (they could afford it) and their partner came home, loved the music, the sound was amazing … then the reality … the partner was really tight with their money … my client had taken mischief to a whole new level .. the outcome .. both of them were my clients and the tightwad didn’t know I had put their partner up to it .. boy, did we make some breakthroughs around their relationship …
I”ll do something different tomorrow!
Hi Michael. I like your practice of asking certain clients to do something mischievous. That can increase their behavioural options and loosen them up. A student of mine is close to starting a study testing an online intervention aimed at increasing life satisfaction. Doing something different is one of 15 strategies the intervention will recommend.
Hi Dr. Malouf,
I heard an interview with you regarding this subject. You mentioned the url tinyurl.com\increasingexcitment. However, I must have missed the correct url information. Would you mind sending me the correct link please?
Best regards,
Lynne
Hi Lynn. The site for the study aimed at helping individuals increase their life satisfaction is http://tinyurl.com/increasingexcitement
Hi Lynne. The site for the study aimed at helping individuals increase their life satisfaction is http://tinyurl.com/increasingexcitement