Creatures of...

We've all heard the expressions "creature of habit", "creature of nature", "creature of comfort", "creature of the sea"...not sure how that last one applies to what you are about to read...and so on and so forth...and this may seem like a very strange introduction to a piece but bear with me for a second.

Most will know that I am one of the worst at being a "creature of habit". I love to run the same races. When I am need of jeans, I buy the same ones. I listen to a lot of the same bands that I've been listening to for 20 years. I love to eat a lot of the same meals...hell...for 3 years at my last job I LITERALLY ate the same exact lunch every day...That's roughly the same combination of a grilled turkey wrap with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onions for 3 years...Nearly 600 times...

As I got ready for my run this morning, I brewed the same coffee, put on the same old socks, laced up the same style of shoe that I've been primarily wearing for nearly 5 years, started the same watch that I've worn for 4 years and did the same quasi-stretching routine that I've done for nearly a decade. I walked out of my house and headed North. I found myself going the same direction that I've gone probably 200 times. As I came to the corner where I typically turn, I thought to myself, what would happen if I don't go the same route? So I continued on North, then west, then south and you know what happened next? Nothing monumental actually...pretty anti-climatic really 😂, BUT, what I did experience was getting to see a part of my town that I normally don't see. We've lived in this town for 3 1/2 years and BARELY see the farthest north part of my town...I just don't get that way out of habit.

Keep in mind that it was 5:00am, pitch black and there was a thick fog in the air, so I really didn't see anything different...except for the dude that made the Chevy symbol out of Christmas lights above his front door..."You might be a redneck if..." but I got to "experience" something different. Who knows, maybe if it wasn't that dark I would have experienced something. Bu the point is, my brain didn't explode. I don't think I lost any cognitive functions or pushed out any memories because of overcrowding because of my new found adventure and I'm still alive to retell that basically, nothing happened...hold on...there is a reason as to why I'm telling you this...

For a lot of us, we've taken the same route to work every weekday for 10 years. We have the same coffee shop that we stop at, we order the same coffee...except for those months when you drink the pumpkin spice garbage then can't stop talking about it 😏... We listen to the same radio station. We park in roughly the same spot. Our cars get pooped on by the same animals. We eat lunch with the same people. We like our computer windows open in the same spot. We have the exact same routine every day and before you know it, you're basically reliving the movie "Groundhog Day"...which is a hilarious movie...and it's no wonder we are so bored all of the time.

Here is your challenge. Find your "creature" today. Find ONE thing that is so WILDLY different from what you've been doing for years and see what happens. As I learned on my run this morning, it probably won't be anything groundbreaking...but what if it is? Run a different route. Bike to work instead of driving. What if you take a slightly different route to work and discover that there is a new coffee shop that you didn't know existed that has even more amazing coffee? What if you park in a different spot and find out that squirrels aren't going to poop on your car? What if you ask someone different to lunch that you don't normally talk to because they smell? You might just be pleasantly surprised at what happens.

Break up the monotony of your day and see what happens. Leave me a comment or post what it is you are going to do that is different and maybe what you experienced. I'd love to hear from you.

Stay Strong. Run Long.
Brad