Flex_ Do Something Different - Ben [39]
SPRUCE UP DAY: Experiment with your image today. Wear something you wouldn’t normally wear and break free from your wardrobe rut. If you’re a jeans/trouser wearer, wear a skirt. Men who are always formal – go on, undo that top button! People’s sartorial habits imprison them and put them in a box. How we present ourselves to the world can affect how we behave and how we are perceived. This DSD can be the catalyst for changing that.
FEEL THE PINCH DAY: Go out without any money today. Of course, make sure the car has petrol and take some food, but then see what you can get for nothing. Free entry to museums, music downloads, discarded newspapers, tasting samples… Forcing ourselves into the discomfort zone – in this case a day without money – can trigger all kinds of new feelings and experiences. Not depending on money on this particular day makes us look around for alternatives and raises awareness.
GIVE AWAY DAY: Give somebody a small present today. If you haven’t any money then give a cuddle, a compliment or just cheer up someone who’s going through a rough time. When friendships or relationships become habitual we stop putting in the effort. Or get into the habit of waiting for another to take the initiative. This DSD forces a small interpersonal shift in the right direction. Who knows where it might lead?
NEW NEWS DAY: Change your newspaper today – buy one you would never normally consider buying. If you don’t usually take one, then do so today. Notice how the media portrays the news, and shapes your views. A really simple DSD but a powerful view-changer too. We also encourage people to read their usual newspaper in a different order (back to front?) or focus on sections they usually skip. Or to buy a hobby magazine about something in which they think they have no interest whatsoever!
THAT’LL DO DAY: Be less of a perfectionist today. Try saying ‘That’ll do’ when you’ve finished a job and stop gilding the lily. If perfectionism is preventing you from starting something, tell yourself, ‘I don’t have to get it right, I just have to get it going.’ Behavioural habits and traits like perfectionism render us inflexible. They trap us into filling our life with the wrong things and the wrong worries. This DSD gives the perfectionist permission to flex a little. A good stressbuster.
STRETCH YOUR HORIZONS DAY: Investigate a different type of holiday – search for ethical/adventurous or hobby holidays and expand your vacation view! Why not go somewhere different – with someone different? Habits are not just daily; they can happen once a year as with holidays. A new environment can be the catalyst for a whole range of new experiences.
STOP COMPLAINING DAY: Have a no-moan day today. Whenever you find yourself about to whinge or criticise, say something positive – or just smile instead! A DSD to interrupt a habit that many slip into – complaining. It’s easy to do but it’s also infectious and corrosive. It’s one that if not broken will affect how the person perceives and shapes their world.
41. How does Do Something Different work?
Experiencing and reflecting selves
Why does doing something different work? Remember we are all much more than our conscious thoughts and the utterances we make, whether these be right or wrong. Our habits are examples of the unconscious forces that drive our behaviour. Where the autopilot is taking us may not be what we would choose for ourselves. It just … well, happened.
Sigmund Freud made a career from this fact. He was among the first to notice the disconnection between what we think and what we do. In this sense, we are at least two selves in one body. Freud thought we were three, and labelled these the id, the ego and the superego. Of course, many of his ideas have been debunked and superseded by modern knowledge of how the brain functions. But a model we find