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Advice / Succeeding at Work / Work-Life Balance

7 Times People Changed Up Their Daily Routine and (Gasp) Lived to Tell the Tale

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I’m probably not alone in saying this, but people often tell me to take risks, put myself out there, try something different. And for the most part, I used to brush them off, saying that I was perfectly comfortable with my routine, and that it always seemed to work for me.

But there might be something to that. Branching out and creating some new challenges might be just what you and I need to grow and improve—I know I could certainly learn a thing or two from shutting off my phone at night, trying out a new app, or reorganizing my to-do list.

So, to motivate both of us to test the waters a bit, here are seven examples of people trying new and exciting things—and succeeding at them!

  1. Signing up for a new activity can be scary, exhausting, or even annoying, but as one Muse writer found from taking her first ever yoga class, putting yourself in, say, down-dog forces you to swallow your pride, befriend your discomforts, and understand your limits.

  2. Muse writer Lily Herman learned that it is possible to do the 10-3-2-1-0 trick before bed and reap the benefits—including breaking that late night snacking ritual.

  3. Not everything you do must be in pursuit of productivity, and Muse Senior Writer and Editor Stacey Gawronski discovered this lesson through—get this—coloring books.

  4. It’s always implied, but Muse COO Alex Cavoulacos proved that giving yourself a technology curfew actually helps you sleep better—and that you can actually do it!

  5. Or, try grounding yourself in the morning from tech. Muse Managing Editor Jenni Maier believes this is the best way to make your mornings way more productive.

  6. If you’re skeptical that productivity hacks don’t work, Muse writer Kat Boogaard can attest that The Pomodoro Technique makes you avoid multitasking and take those necessary breaks between projects.

  7. Jennifer Dewalt, founder of the restaurant discovery website YumHacker, dropped everything she was doing and decided to build 180 websites in one year—all because she wanted to learn to code. While not everyone can take this crazy leap, she picked up some valuable knowledge about effectively learning a new skill.