Question from a reader --
Thank you, Sebastian. I'd like to hear more about your thoughts on what you call the paradox of non-routine tasks. I tend to stick to routine and not do (high-action) non-routine tasks, though I feel that if I were able to balance the two more while minimally disrupting my routines, I could be much more effective and feel more fulfilled. How would you recommend, if you will, getting into the routine of doing non-routine things?
The easiest way to do this is to go somewhere not normal.
Two reasons:
First, being somewhere other than normal affects how you think and see the world anyways. You get new inputs and have to rethink what would otherwise be routine decisions.
Second, and just as importantly, you don't want to get into the habit of breaking your habits while operating normally. You normal baseline should be relatively consistent and very sustainable. But explicitly taking a week off to go to the Philippines, or go camping, or to Barcelona, or to go stay at an Inn near Lake Shan in Guilin... this goes a long ways.
If you do that, you can sometimes renegotiate or cancel your rules for a short time. If I've been training with weights, I like to take my recovery weeks when I'm traveling when possible. But decide in advance when you'll get back on your routines and schedules if you do this -- so if you're going off your diet when traveling, when will you get back on it? When the plane takes off back towards home? When you land? Etc. The details matter; having clear lines in the sand assist a lot with not falling entirely off the wagon.