Do something different?

by | Sep 21, 2014 | Uncategorized | 5 comments

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

5 Comments

  1. 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!

  2. 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.

  3. 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

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