Working outside of a traditional office setting where you have colleagues and resources to draw on at all times can be difficult. If you work from a home office or space away from what your company considers 'home base' you know the added challenges. My name is Keith Burtis. This is my first addition to the workshifting blog but I have been a professional workshifter for three and a half years now and I'd like to share with you one of my weekly To Do's.

Break the Routine

So we have all heard of the importance of a routine right? Major league baseball players have a pre-swing routine, and workshifters tend to live and die by their routine and calendar. This may sound contrarian to all you have heard and learned about being an efficient worker but I'm going to tell you to Break the Routine! Do I mean that you should throw your life into a tizzy, start missing meetings and falling behind on your deliverables? No. However, what I am saying is, at least once a week you should step out of your pre-fabricated robot like routine and shock your system with something new!

Your asking me why? The routine works for you right? In fact maybe you have been following this exact routine for years and it's like the comfort blanket Linus from the Charlie Brown cartoon walks around with all day. The fact is this:

Change forces adaptation and adaptation increases strength.

Lets compare our work lives to physical fitness for a moment here.  Maybe even some of you have going to the gym a few times a week as a line item in your calendar. Why do you go? Many of you will say, To stay healthy, lose a few pounds or heck maybe to help break the monotony of your day. I'll tell you the real reason:

Change forces adaptation and adaptation increases strength.

By going to the gym and stressing your system on the treadmill or breaking down muscles by lifting weights you are forcing your body to adapt. Essentially, by adding a few clicks on the treadmill and a couple reps to your curls your body responds by getting stronger and healthier. This is why it is important to frequently change the routine of your workout to maximize results.

Can you see where I'm headed here? I don't want this to start sounding like a workout guide but rather a guide for life and work. Do you find yourself doing the same things every day? Expecting the same paycheck? Jut sort of....dare I say, Coasting? It's easy to fall into this trap, in fact it's human nature. However, for those of you that want to stay on top of your game, creative and fresh it's important to challenge yourself and step away from the routine every so often. please share your experiences here with us! If you think I'm off my rocker please share your thoughts

Photo Credit: Inoneear