Seth Godin’s blog today was  “Dig yourself a hole”. The premise is that “focused energy and serious intent will help you to do your very best work”.  More importantly, creating a space so deep and narrow that you don’t have anyway to go except up or forward. In other words, you can’t escape.  Of course the song that immediately began playing in my head was “Shake it up” by The Cars. Shaking up the complacency, rut or routine of your life is a good thing.  You never know what will fall out or together.

It doesn’t take a huge leap to shake it up, in fact, you can shake it up in very small steps.  Here are some of my ideas:

1.) Drive a different way to work (or to run errands, visit a friend, etc.);

2.) Blast out making appointments that you’ve been putting off one right after the other. Today I took care of three doctor/dental appointments that I’ve been sitting on all summer;

3.) Clean out your files/desk…be willing to THROW  AWAY/SHRED as much as you can.  Make room for new energy coming in.

4.) If you’re not used to doing thins by yourself, go do something by yourself. Enjoy a movie or go to a museum.  Likewise, if you’re not used to doing something with someone else, invite someone to enjoy an activity with you.

5.) Think of one thing you’ve been saying that you were going to do for awhile now.  Don’t say anything more about it until you’re at least half way to completing it.

6.) Find a meeting that you can go to, listen in on, or watch that is on a subject that you know very little about but have been curious about.

7.) Quit smoking. Quit drinking. Quit over eating. Trust me, any one of these things will shake your routine up!

8.) Find a class that you can take to learn something new.  Be willing to stretch out of your comfort zone.

9.) Write or call someone and tell them thank you for something that you wanted to tell them but never find the time.

10.) Rearrange all the furniture in one room of your home.  Move plants, art, pictures, etc.  Find new ways of expressing yourself.

Remember to enjoy yourself and for heaven sake’s SHAKE IT UP!!