But I Like My Box!

By Gail Richards - Dec 31 , 2007

Anyone reading the title of this article who has known me for any length of time is laughing. They know all about me and my box. They know well that one of my defining traits is that I am a creature of habit. I like my box.Having said that, the reason I like to keep these people around is that they regularly coax me out of my box. (In fact, for a few of them, this has become a mission.)

Having a box isn’t a bad thing, but being afraid to ever venture outside of it presents a problem. How do you feel about your box? Is it a haven you come back to or a crutch you lean on as an excuse?

Here are three challenges for those of you who recognize yourselves as “box-dependent” (and for those of you who think you’re not):

Change your spot:
I recently returned to taking Jazzercise® classes several mornings each week. If you ever have taken any sort of fitness class, you already know where this is going. Everyone in the class has a “spot” on the floor. There is nothing official or assigned about these spots. They are self-selected, yet may as well be identified with engraved name plates.

Where do you normally work on your book?
I challenge you to choose a different room in the house, a different table at the coffee shop, a different floor of the library this week—just once—and see what new insights and inspirations it brings to your work.

Be spontaneous:
A few years ago, I had a shopping day scheduled with two friends. They showed up at my house at the appointed time and told me I had 15 minutes to pack. They were taking me out of town as a surprise for my birthday (which wasn’t for another month). They wouldn’t tell me where we were going or what mode of transportation we would be using to get there. I’m a planner and a packer. Their approach to that weekend was as much a gift to me as the trip itself. I had a blast. I also had all the wrong clothing and about half of the toiletries I might normally bring, and it didn’t matter one bit.

What are you missing out on because you are reluctant to say “yes!” at a moment’s notice?
I challenge you to say “yes” to one thing this week that normally would be just far enough out of your comfort zone to elicit an automatic “no.” I suspect you’ll be surprised at just how many opportunities and invitations you pass up regularly.

Switch things up:
I used to teach an ongoing monthly workshop on creative improvisation. One of the most popular exercises was the homework assigned between each session. It always included a thematic prompt for participants to switch ordinary choices. For example, if there was nothing green in their wardrobe, they had to borrow something green to wear for a day; if they always listened to country music, to switch the radio station to jazz for a day; if they had never tried Greek food, to make a lunch date with a friend at an authentic Greek restaurant.

What patterns have you fallen into?
I challenge you to identify the choices you make each day that you take for granted—then change just one for a day. Shake things up! Write in the first person. Work on your book in the afternoon instead of the morning. Write your drafts long hand instead of on the computer.

You may love the changes. You may hate the changes. Either way, you will have stretched yourself, and I salute you.