Lifestyle Design | Creating mini-experiences

Years ago, I stumbled on a USteam video of a few friends enjoying dinner.  During their impromptu conversations, the topic of relationships came up.  At one point this guy speaks up and provides one of the best pieces of relationship advice that I heard in a long time.  He advised all the viewers in relationships to "never stop creating experiences."

He went on to describe how at the start of our dating journey, almost every interaction involves a new experience.  As the relationship solidifies, the two of you go on trips and start building a life together.  Then, as time passes, we fall victim to the dangers of routine.  Everyday starts to look and feel the same.  You ever see a couple at dinner that barely speaks to each other?  I'm pretty sure you look at them and swear that your relationship will never be that way.  But, before making such a bold statement, we must ask ourselves, how did they end up like that in the first place?  According to the  young man on UStream, a couple that is constantly creating new experiences will always have lots to talk about.

This piece of relationship advice is great, but I also want to transfer that concept into our personal lives.  For the most part, our lives are pretty mundane.  We get up in the morning, get ready for work, go to work, come home, get ready for bed, sleep, then do it all again.  The days start to run together because nothing notable has happened.

One practice I'd like to implement is infusing at least one new experience a week.  A new experience doesn't mean that I have to fly off to an exotic location.  Maybe we'll get to that level soon but, to start the process, I'll focus on small, wonderful moments that I'll intentionally incorporate in my life.

I used to follow this process when I worked in a high stress, uninspiring environment.  In order to avoid a breakdown, I'd do something new that mentally took me to different place.  New experiences and the ability to shift our mood & mindset in an instant. And that new feeling lasts long after the experience is gone.  As your mind goes back to that moment in time, your breathing slows and a small smile forms as you reminisce.

Quick example:  On Monday, I had a mid-day sauna session.  While in there, I played my favorite songs as I played a slideshow containing images of my ideal life.  Not only was that experience amazing, I believe it contributed to the direction of my entire week.  

I know some of you might be thinking "I work all day, I don't get to jump into a sauna on a Monday afternoon."  True. But, if you'd like to live a life that will allow for this type of freedom, then create mini-experiences now!  These experiences have been a part of my life for years.  Lunch breaks were ALWAYS spent in the car listening to audio books or sitting at restaurant lobby reading success stories.  If I went out for lunch on a weekend, I would pretend like it was a weekday and I was in total control of my time.  The more stressful life got, the more diligent I became in creating mini-feel good moments.  Those little experiences kept me sane.

In the same way that new experiences can infuse life into a dying relationship, mini-experiences can transform your life.  Start small. Driving a different way to work is a mini-experience.  Anything that takes us out of our normal routine.  Make it a ritual that you vow to continue from this day forward. If we allow a full 7 days to pass without incorporating a personal feel-good experience, we're doing ourselves a disservice.  I urge you to build mini-experiences into this very week to make it stand out from all the rest.