Tired of the Same Ole Same Ole? Time to Shake Things Up!

"With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Every day we wake up, eat, go to work, eat, sleep, and do it all over again the next day. We find a system makes life run smoothly and that adds to our productivity. And it works - for awhile. But eventually we're living a routine, ordinary life. It's the same stuff every day. Before we know it, instead of being more motivated, the system traps us within an unchanging stale and counter-productive rut.

To prevent drudgery and boredom, it's important to change things up every now and again. Add some life into the day! Re-energize! Of course, you can shake things up in a really big way if you want to. But the little things work just as well to make life more meaningful. All it takes to put the pizazz back into your routine is a little creativity. Below are five easy ways to get your creative juices flowing again and add some sparkle back into your day.

Cook a New Dish
Life is busy and people often say they don't have enough time for cooking, let alone exploring new recipes. But cooking can become a form of creative expression rather than a chore. Even if you're busy or not such a good cook, the act of cooking can get you out of your rut. Getting your hands of real food connects your spirit with life. It can inspire and wake up your joy of being alive. You don't have to be a gourmet cook or do anything fancy. For example instead of the creamy quick-cooking oatmeal, try the steel-cut variety for a chewy full-textured experience. Or try poached eggs instead of the tried and true scrambled. Stepping out of your routine and trying new ways of cooking things helps you wake up your life.

Tend a Garden
Flowers, foliage, herbs, fruits, and vegetables. Oh my! Why garden? Because the act of gardening energizes, filling us with joy and hope. It gets us outside and connected with life and noticing the constantly changing weather patterns. Tending a garden brings peace and solitude. Not to mention hummingbirds, butterflies, and geckos. Tending a garden may well be one of the best antidotes to a busy, routine life.

Write
You don't have to be a great writer, a perfect speller, or an inspired writer t keep a journal. Write because you want to write, not because you have to. Writing helps ground you in the knowledge of who you really are. Writing connects the mind with the spirit. When you write, you gradually open and learn the answers to Who am I? You discover you have unique thoughts, opinions, emotions, passions, convictions, and ideas.

Improve Your Relationships
Over time all long-term relationships grown and change. Your emotional needs, hobbies, interests and values evolve, and so do theirs. It can be easy to grow apart. Peek into your closest relationships and find innovative ways to spruce things up. What would bring back the laughter, the easy joy, and camaraderie? Could you take walks together? Share dinner or pies? Buy him or her little gifts or groceries when you're out shopping? Ask if they want to get involved with a personal project? Too often, people put their best selves out there to their work colleagues, but show up uninvolved or uninspired with those they love most. Today, show your friend or lover (in actions) that you value your relationship with him or her more than any other relationship in your life.

Closet Makeover
If you're feeling a bit "blah" rather than fabulous, then maybe it's time to shake up your closet. First, get in there with five extra-large boxes or oversized trash bags and start thinning herd. Shoes, belts, socks, underwear, winter sweaters, and last year's shirts. Sort through them all and let go of anything that no longer feels right. You mind might protest, but let it go. The Goodwill or Salvation Army would love to have your stuff. And you'll have room to breathe when only your favorite clothes remain. Then, take yourself out shopping. Can't afford to buy a whole new wardrobe? Buy some essential mood lifting pieces.

You don't have to make sweeping changes in order to get yourself out of auto-pilot. Just start finding new ways to the same little every day things. Rearrange all the pictures in your home, change the energy behind how you do your tasks, try drive to work on different routes, or do something just for the joy of doing it. Try the ideas above and then start finding your own creative ways to make your each and every day shine!