Switching up your routine is tough, but as writer Joshua Foer points out in his book, Moonwalking with Einstein, we need to break that monotony in order to remember things.
Photo by Fabíola Medeiros
Foer’s full quote really drives the point home:
Monotony collapses time; novelty unfolds it. You can exercise daily and eat healthily and live a long life, while experiencing a short one. If you spend your life sitting in a cubicle and passing papers, one day is bound to blend unmemorably into the next — and disappear. That’s why it’s important to change routines regularly, and take vacations to exotic locales, and have as many new experiences as possible that can serve to anchor our memories. Creating new memories stretches out psychological time, and lengthens our perception of our lives.
We’ve talked about breaking out of your comfort zone before and it’s not just great for making new memories and breaking that monotony. It’s also good for being more productive, dealing with change and plenty more. Which is to say: go out and try something new and fun this week.
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything [Amazon]
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