Monday, March 30, 2009

Doing Things Differently

You've all seen that film, Groundhog Day, right? Where Bill Murray is stuck in some small little town reliving the same day over and over again. And his first few days he spends punching people and robbing a bank and killing himself. And then he starts making friends and learning new things and he can play the piano and ice sculpt and he saves people's lives and then he ends up with Andie McDowell? Well, I feel a bit like early-Bill-Murray in Groundhog Day.

I'm stuck in a rut. I wake up everyday and I feel like I'm doing the same things over and over again. Maybe that's the same for you? Do you ever get tired of doing the same things, thinking the same things? I do. I get up, and I cook and I clean and I entertain my boys. I pick up the same toys and put them away, I read the same books to Oldest, I sweep the same bits of food off the floor under Littlest' high chair. I take the same trip to and from Oldest' pre-school. On Tuesdays I go to toddler group in the morning, Friday afternoons Oldest goes shopping with N. When Oldest is at pre-school and Littlest is asleep, I either use the computer or read my book and think about all the things that I should be doing or all the things that I could have done that morning but didn't do.

Things will change, because I'm going to doing things differently. I've made a promise to myself that for the month of April, at least, I will do something different every single day. It's not going to be life-changing or anything, they'll all be quite minor things. I really want to focus on going to new places, on learning new things, doing fun and interactive things with my boys and being less afraid. I've already made a list of proposed new things to do, and I'll do these things and then I'll blog about them.

Maybe you want to join me in this? Or maybe your thing will be to just sit back and watch or be my cheerleader and leave lots of encouraging messages. Whatever, I'm just happy that I'll be doing this. I don't think by the end of April I'll be able to ice sculpt or play the piano, and I certainly won't end up with the girl, but maybe I'll end up having an adventure, maybe the boys will have an amazing month and I'll be out of this rut and I'll have impressed you all with astounding knowledge of ... something. Who knows? I'm going to find out. Are you with me?

Day one (Dinton Pastures)
Days two and three (French toast, Monkey Mates)
Days four, five and six (Dinner with Friends, Movie Night and California Country Park)
Day seven (Choc brownie muffins)
Day nine (Wellington Country Park)
Day thirteen (Easter Trail at Virginia Water)
York, Part One
York, Part Two

Also, a book that partially inspired the project - Looking For Alaska by John Green and
A bump in the road


  1. I'm with you!

    For me it's the cooking something new every week (or 3 out of 4 anyway). Yesterday we had Chicken with Garlic Sauce which was very ncie. Blog post will follow about it tonight.

    Good luck! xx

  2. I like the sound of this - I just seem to struggle with time management. I can't get the things done I need to, let alone the things I want to. I may need to cheer from the sidelines on this one. Though I hope to try and do lots of different activities over Easter with the girls. I might wait until the Summer holidays to try some thing different, but I shall be right behind you supporting you all the way. You go girl!

  3. So hard for me to reconcile the comfort of a familiar routine with the suspicion the routine has become a rut. The 101 Things in 1001 Days list helps me remember to shake things up a bit.

    Looking forward to hearing about your adventures.

  4. Good luck! I'll be your cheerleader!!

    GO Michelle!! Yea!!

  5. While I would LIKE to be with you, I'll have to pass. This sounds like a cop out, but there just isn't time in my day for something new every day. I'll go for something new every weekend, if that's allowed.

  6. Yep, go for it!

    Like Lisa, I just don't have the time to do new stuff. I'll live vicariously through you instead!

  7. Does it matter that he essentially gives up immortality? I do love when he starts using the day to learn piano.

    I do love your idea though, something different everyday - could be fun :-)

  8. This sounds like a really great idea! I just read post about Dinton Pastures - I'm looking forard to reading more of your adventures.

  9. I know what you mean with this and I think it comes with being a mummy. You get stuck doing the same old sticking and cutting at the table or baking the same cake over and over you kinda forget what else is out there to do. This time of year is brill though you can get out and do more, things feel more fresh, kinda like a new start :o) lots of luck with this I look forward to your posts about it x

  10. gosh you're so right!!! i was really really feeling like that for a while and what i started to do recently is volunteer to do more stuff with my preemie moms group and aidan's school and it's keeping me busy in my personal life while i am making a lot of new connections. before now, i've spent way too much time at home doing the same thing day in and day out -- it's bored the kids, it's bored myself... you're so right about shaking things up!

  11. I'm backtracking a bit because I came over and saw the post about Doing Something Different and I was curious. Anyway, I think that this is a FABULOUS idea. I just want to say keep it up and I hope that it goes well for you. Now I'm going to read some of the new things you tried. :)

