There are quite a lot of things that we do automatically in the day, almost without thinking. It’s worth spending a few minutes thinking about what parts of your day are habitual and therefore form part of the day when you are not fully engaged with your life. Based on the experience of my family, I would suggest that the more items that you have on your list, the more entrenched you are in your comfort zone. These habits form the parts of the day that we sometimes don’t remember – time forgotten or even wasted. I often hear people say that their lives are boring. I suspect that a large part of their days may be formed with routine and habit.

Bending this routine slightly can do anything from awakening your senses to changing your life. (If you have seen the film ‘Sliding Doors’ you will know what I am talking about). Check out your habitual behaviour and alter it slightly. At the very least, you will get a buzz, an awareness that is altered from the normal behaviour. New toothpaste, different temperature on the shower, toast instead of cereal for breakfast, coffee instead of tea. Changing your route to work or your mode of transport will bring a new sensory dimension. A friend on Facebook recently posted the gorgeous view that he got when he was forced to take an alternative route. Imagine the added kick he would have got if he had made that decision himself. To take this to extreme, another friend changed the way she spoke to people and presented herself at work and was promptly offered a promotion.

At times in my life, the smallest of changes has seemed monumental at the time. With hindsight they seem so insignificant, I can’t believe I tied myself up in knots about them. Life moves on and I wonder how much time I have wasted worrying and procrastinating over things that are completely irrelevant. If only I had just got on with it sooner…

Shaking things up a bit can make you feel alive. Habits mean comfort and very little change will happen while you are cosied up in your comfort zone.

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