One Impossible Thing a Day

You know that Alice in Wonderland quote? Something about doing somewhere in the ballpark of five impossible things before breakfast? It makes you think “magic”, “whimsy”, and “what kind of opium was Lewis Carroll” on, right?

Yeah, but what if I told you that that staid/stiff/solid routine of Benjamin Franklin and the whole adage of being an early bird and setting about your list of 75 things to do per day is the quickest way to burnout?

Burnout, we don’t like that.

We’re humans, not trained seals. (Though trained seals also need a good caretaker and shouldn’t, frankly, be left in bad situations). We shouldn’t do the same thing over and over again like we’re robots on an assembly line. And even if we have tasks that are repetitive, there has to be a few ways to switch things up. You know, keep routine less humdrum and more exciting.

I’m not saying go jump on tables and start dancing like that High School Musical cafeteria scene. But it’s nice to surprise yourself. Add a splash of color to your life. Be your own manic pixie dream-person.

Take yourself out for a dessert treat. Make a cake even if you have no clue how to. Take a new route to work that looks interesting, but might be a bit out of the way. Invite a friend out to explore somewhere in an uncharted adventure. Dance in a mirror to your favorite song. Try out a new makeup look. Wear that outfit you’ve been eyeing. Tell yourself five compliments and deliver each line as sincerely as possible. (Grant yourself an Oscar after that round of sincere compliments, as well. Fake it until you believe in yourself since, sometimes, it’s hard not to doubt right away).

Most importantly, try a few impossible things every day.

Because we’re mortals, not machines.

1 Comment

  1. Teresa on July 21, 2020 at 10:01 am

    Always interesting to read your blog

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