I’ve been working on some work-life balance recently, and been experimenting on some things to become more productive. One of the things I’m trying out is outlining a schedule for myself every day, making a kind of general task list of when to do things. I forgot which article I’ve read some months ago (and couldn’t find it through Google), but measuring time seems to be one of the steps to a more productive lifestyle. Some of the things that I quickly become aware of are my habits or ‘patterns’. I just then have to decide if they are good patterns to keep, or a bad habit I need to change (likewise, coming up with habits that I decide I want to develop). What I didn’t immediately realize though, is how breaking patterns from time to time is also a refreshing change that can contribute to productivity (maybe) or just a more ‘balanced’ lifestyle.

It’s so easy to fall into habits, good or bad. Sometimes, even staying late in the office can become a habit. Things that are fun (and work can be fun) are easiest to get into, and I end up being blind-sided by forgetting that there are other things in life. This isn’t a novel idea, but just today it really occurred to me how refreshing breaking patterns can be. It can be a movie night with friends hastily scheduled, or buying lunch from a place I’ve never tried before, or even going to a meet-up that I don’t normally attend. Maybe even picking up a free class, or signing up for something I never imagined myself trying. Doing something different every once in a while could also force me out of my comfort zone unexpectedly, and I think these are things that contribute to Life Skills! It could also lead to seeing things in a different perspective; who knows?

I want to be more conscious of breaking patterns. To do things I probably won’t normally do. Let’s see where I go from here. :)