Vishnu and I are creatures of habit and comfort. This blog may give a totally different impression at times, but don’t be fooled. If given the option to stick with what we know, we’ll take it. We know this about ourselves, both as individuals and as a couple, so we’re constantly talking about ways to change things up and disrupt our default.
Obviously, there are so many ways to disrupt your default way of doing things. And since my default likely looks somewhat different from yours, the way I try to disrupt it will also look and feel quite different. Same goes for Vishnu.
To that point, I thought it would be fun to share a few things we’ve recently done to disrupt our default.
1. As I mentioned in my last post, I got highlights this weekend. While this may sound like ordinary news to most of you, this was huge for me. I was super nervous and almost backed out of the whole thing while talking to my stylist. But you know what…stepping outside my comfort zone and trying something new with my look ended up being really fun. It definitely helps that the whole thing didn’t turn out to be a huge disaster, but regardless, the risk was well worth it. I mean, it’s just hair, right?
I haven’t been able to get a better picture of my hair, and I know this one doesn’t do the highlights justice. But they’re a reddish brown color and I LOVE them! And yes, I still have “some” grays. Apparently, highlights don’t make all of your gray hair go away.
2. A few weeks ago, my friend Shannon told me about a great Groupon deal for the yoga studio she goes to. Because I was/am genuinely trying to bring yoga back into my life, I bought the Groupon and started going to classes with Shannon. I wouldn’t call myself a yogi by any stretch of the imagination, but I will say I’m glad to disrupt my fitness default and challenge myself once a week.
3. Because we know our time in Miami may be limited, we are trying extra hard to disrupt our default when it comes to leaving the comfort of our neighborhood and finding new places to eat and things to do. For example, when people ask me about the food scene in Miami, I usually name a few restaurants and say something like, “It doesn’t even compare to cities like Chicago and Atlanta!” But after meeting some new foodie friends, I’m learning that Miami may have more to offer than I originally thought.
4. Something else we’re trying to do is make plans with friends (even on weekdays) and keep them. In the past, our weekly routine would never include more than one commitment with friends that actually required dressing up and getting out of our apartment. We got comfortable with our familiar routine and didn’t make the effort to reach out to others. Fortunately , we realized that we’re in our thirties and not our nineties and are now shaking things up.
5. Vishnu’s schedule isn’t as hectic as it once was. And while I’m sure he loves running my errands during the day, he’s also trying to learn Spanish via the Rosetta Stone program (among other things). If it was me, that would be the last thing I’d want to do. Knowing residency’s a few short months away, I would want to do anything but learn. Being the [cute] nerd that he is, he’s disrupting his default routine and turning his free time into an enriching growth experience.
These are just a few ways we’re disrupting our default and creating new and different experiences for ourselves. And as scary as it can be sometimes, it’s only led to great things for us so far!
Do you make an conscious effort to disrupt your default?
it sounds very similar to where i am lately..my weekdays are so routined, i need to make plans on the weekdays with my friends and leave work at home. i am curious as to how Rosetta stone will work out for Vishnu.
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I’ll let you know what he thinks! 🙂
I LOVE this. I was thinking about this a little bit over the weekend because I felt like Alex and I were always doing new things when we were dating but now we’ve settled into a routine of married life. We love it and we’re so happy but sometimes we need to push ourselves to discover new things 😉
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You’re so right. It’s hard to push yourself when your default brings you happiness. I think what pushes us is knowing that our time together before Vishnu starts residency is limited.
I way prefer the sound of “disrupting your default” over “breaking out of your routine”–> the latter doesn’t have the same oomph ;)! Your hair is looking great- I’m planning to get mine done next month before a friend’s wedding. One way I’m disrupting my default is in terms of my social life i.e. getting in touch with people who I haven’t spoken to in a while and reconnecting- feels good!
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Thanks, K! And reconnecting with old friends is a great example of how to disrupt your default. And it’s so fun too!
I woke up this morning and said to my husband “so is this what every day of the rest of our lives is going to look like?”
It was kind of depressing! I really need to change it up. Things are getting a little boring around here.
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Disrupt your default, P! And I get into that funk sometimes with our weekly routine too…you’re not the only one.
Love the idea to disrupt the default. I too get used to my everyday routine. Rather than letting the “blah” set in, I am starting to proactively change things up- love your post!
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Yes! Being proactive and recognizing that you’re sticking to your defaults is key.
I love this and I love that you two disrupt your default! It’s great to shake things up 🙂 I also love that you’re getting back to yoga. I’ve really found a love of the practice and do not intend to stop anytime soon! I’ve gotten myself so used to the routine I’m on now that it’s hard for me to break that momentum or cycle! I need to work on that.
You’re one of my yoga inspirations! I love seeing all of your IG post 🙂
This is something I usually have to work at as well, especially during the winter time (not that that’s an issue in Miami!). I tend to like to keep to a routine and only do one or two social things per week. But since we decided to move to Brazil, our routine was automatically thrown all out of whack, and I kind of love it. I’m even (sort of) learning to deal with having a mess around the house since we have already had to start sorting through our stuff to get ready to go.
I love the highlights, you have gorgeous hair! I’ve never colored my hair either, and my grays just keep on coming, so I know the time is near. I’m nervous about it, but think the change will be fun – especially after seeing your results!
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You and Tom are a great example of how to disrupt your default! I’m so excited for your upcoming move and all the adventure that’s going to bring!
Good post. So last week I took a Hot Yoga class with a friend, so not something I would do, but it was $5 (NYC baby), so I was like why not. Of course, I didn’t realize how hot I would actually feel. I wanna try Soul Cycle next. It’s so important to try and grow and challenge yourself, especially as a couple I think.. it’s so easy to fall into a routine.
Dude, I love the Miami food scene – try Puerta Sagua (Latin food, they have amazing cafe con leche and tostones). There were so many great Latin restaurants there. I’m getting highlights on Thurs – going a little bold with the color.
🙂
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Thanks, Nisha! Hot yoga for $5? In NYC? That’s a steal!
And we’ll definitely have to check out those restaurants. Did they have good vegetarian options?
Hmmm.. the stuff I mentioned was a side dish – tostones.
But you’ll have to check the menu, most of us were meat eaters. 🙂
Honey, What’s Cooking? recently posted…Roman Nose | Downtown Jersey City (harsimus cove)
[…] I talked about being a creature of habit and not disrupting my default all that often, I wasn’t kidding! It actually takes a lot of effort for me to change my ways. And […]
This is a good reminder, I would say that my husband and I are in a bit of a rut lately, mainly because my mom moved in with us a few months ago so we could help her recover from a fall. Now that she’s improving we need to start getting out more!
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