This week I’m in a house on Isle of Palms, South Carolina with other writers for a week of writing and teaching and learning.  It’s amazing how a change of scenery can motivate you to do something that’s less appealing when you’re in your normal environment.

Take writing, for example.  My laptop is the same, the story is the same…when I left Atlanta, I was sick of working on this project.  But for some reason, being parked on a verandah overlooking the dunes and the ocean and endless sky, my enthusiasm for the story has been reignited.  Yes, the beach itself is inspiring, but I think the most important catalyst to bump your imagination is a change of scenery.

We are creatures of habit (writers possibly more than the average person), and when we perform the same tasks over and over and in the same environment, the brain becomes complacent and goes on “auto pilot.”  Have you ever arrived at the other end of your commute and realized you don’t remember even getting into your car, much less navigating all the turns?  Auto pilot.  Inadvertently eat an entire bag of chips while sitting on the couch watching TV?  Auto pilot.  The best way to jar your brain (and your imagination) is to change your routine:  Drive a different way to the office, or watch TV in a different room.

And so it works for your imagination.  I used to be a corporate computer programmer.  If I was stuck on a particularly sticky problem, I would get up from my chair at my desk and sit in the guest chair in my office to study printouts.  Simply sitting in a different chair literally gave me a new point of view on the problem, and I would normally figure it out relatively quickly.  It wasn’t that the problem suddenly got easier, or I suddenly got smarter—it was the change of scenery that jump-started my brain and allowed me to consider new alternatives.

Remember that our body and brain doesn’t always like change, so we might not be inspired to seek it out.  That’s why for me it’s necessary to schedule purposeful change into my routine, whether it be working in a different location in my office or something more simple, like changing the font I write in.  I’ve found the more difficult the task, the more important it is to change the environment to tackle the task.  My favorite tweaks are sensory details:  adding a fragrant candle to my work surface, or turning on a white noise machine, or rearranging my office furniture.  Any change that stimulates one of your five senses will give your brain a good jolt.

No matter what rote to-do item is on your list, you might be able to achieve results more quickly by introducing something unexpected into the situation.  The next time you’re stumped, try sitting in the guest chair.

I challenge you to change up your work schedule today.  Let me know how it goes!