I ran into someone the other day at a meeting and asked him how he was doing. He responded in what I thought was a sad manner, "Same old, same old. Just plugging along I guess."

Imagine going through your life with that "same old" mindset and yet that's what so many people do.

At the heart of this rather depressing outlook on life (and work) is a perspective of scarcity. Rather than having an attitude of abundance and gratitude, my friend sees his days as a repeatingly boring cycle that repeats itself every day. I feel badly for him, I really do.

Can you relate? If so, how do you break up a cycle of monotony like that of my friend? Here are 10 easy ways to put some zing into your weekly schedule:

Change your commute.
Change your morning routine.
Eat slower.
Send someone a personal note.
Pay someone a compliment.
Take a nap.
Enjoy a slow glass of wine.
Go for a nighttime walk.
Tidy up your workspace.
Wear something fun.

These suggestions do not work every time but they do help you to be more reflective. Reflective people typically are more happy. When you feel stuck in your daily schedule, a simple tweak can create a dent in the monotony that is a part of all of our lives.

God is there to be found in the world of work.

I really like the following quote from former president of Boston College, Fr. William Byron, S.J. because it speaks to the ordinary nature of daily life, "God is there to be found in the world of work. The daily finding of God in the things of work can deepen one’s faith and quite literally ground it in the familiar reality that becomes an altar from which an offering of praise and thanks is made."

Here's to your daily altar to God, that is to say the ordinary stuff that fills your day. May you be unstuck through small changes.

Question: which of the 10 actions above have you tried recently?

Photo courtesy of FDP