I’m not sure if it’s muscle memory or just that we’re creatures of habit, but there are things we do every day without giving it any thought.
Challenge yourself to pay attention to how many daily routine things you do the same way and don’t even realize it.
Here are a few of the things I do every day and never really notice as to how or why I do them the way I do.
I shave the right side of my face first, I brush my teeth on the left side of my mouth first, then the front and finish on the right side.
I put my sock on my left foot first, then the right … same with my shoes.
Recently I and seven others participated in the Citizens Academy course with the Rock County Sheriff’s Office.
We met at the Law Enforcement Center for three two-hour sessions.
I found it interesting that while we could sit in any of the 25 or so seats available, for each of the three sessions we all sat in the same seat that we did the week before. I call that the “church pew syndrome.”
I bet you park your car on the same side of the garage every night. Ever wonder why?
If you need to put gas in your car, do you stop and think about which station to go to? Me neither. I always go to the same one.
Do you use salt and pepper? If so, which one do you put on first?
When you set the table, how do you align your silverware? Is the blade of your knife facing toward the plate or away? I bet you do it the same way every time.
I know people who go for a walk every day and take the same route every day. (I do too, by the way.)
So, part of my challenge to you is to take notice of the things you do without giving it a thought.
Now, moving forward, try to change your routine a bit. We can call it the new norm.