A little boredom can be a big stress reliever. In other words, finding a system that you like and sticking with it has big benefits.
Get bored with your software. I love new things but sometimes it's better to stick with the old. The longer you use a particular version of software the more efficient you become (assuming you make a reasonable effort to learn the shortcuts. Also, the more time you spend using an application the less stressful it becomes. I have found that by using Outlook both at home and at work, I am more relaxed when working with my Email, Calendar, and Tasks. Why? Because I don't have to think about it as much! My brain says "delete that message" and my fingers respond with CTRL+D. It's a beautiful thing. Are there times that it's worth upgrading or switching to a different system: absolutely. On the other hand, consider if you really need the new features in the new version before paying the cost (in time, energy, and money) of making the switch. In addition, try to use software from the same vendor if at all possible. In other words, it's better to use Microsoft Word and Excel than Microsoft Word and Google Spreadsheets.
Get bored with your email. Every email I receive goes into one of five buckets: delete, forward, reference, calendar, or tasks. That's it. It doesn't matter whether it's personal or business, important or not, I manage it all the same boring way. And I love it! It's so much more efficient.
Get bored with your routines. I go to bed and get up at about the same time nearly every day. There are huge benefits to this (more about this in an upcoming post). In addition, I have routines for getting up and going to bed that vary very little. It is awesome to be able to relax even when I'm sleepy knowing that I'm not going to forget anything I need to take to work. It helps me get to sleep and sleep well because of my routine.
I've heard "variety is the spice of life". The problem is that when that was written they got in one year the information we get in one day. I've got enough variety in my RSS feeds to keep me going.
A little boredom is a beautiful thing.
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(For more posts like this one, visit my blog, Tech Rest – Enjoying technology and finding rest in a restless world)
