blow your mind

By now it is a well-known trick to break obsessive perfectionism: Do something out of your routine. Like taking the wrong bus, remain in your train one or two stops too long and see where it takes you to, take the other turn on your way home.. or the other staircase.

On my hitlist these days are: inviting a stranger for tea (to be precise, someone who thinks you are your own sister), going to perform music knowing only place and time but not people and pieces, playing scotland yard with the public transport, greeting someone with good wishes without needing anything from them, not even information. Probably most of these things sound rather trivial. Maybe they are, but one thing i've learned is that doing simple things you're not used to can be quite difficult.

The results of this study are quite varied, with one common element: the outcome was always interesting and positive, as well as relaxing. Like fresh air blowing through my head, taking away all the dullness and over-focussedness of everyday life. The best experience was being surprised by the world, even sometimes surprising myself (which usually proves even more difficult). And as surprises are, one remembers them and the special aspect of the world which made them happen.

Baseline of the whole thing: I warmly recommend you to try breaking your routines (that is, if you do have them). One thing to keep in mind though is to try this when you're alone - you can't coordinate so well when you don't know what you're going to do next!