Sometimes, for whatever reason, we get stuck in a rut. We fall into a pattern of having the same routine, eating the same meals and seeing the same people. It’s comfortable and familiar. It also saves time and energy as we don’t have to stop and think.

We may want to change but we’re too used to doing the same old things.

You know the story. You try to start a new hobby or diet and are full of enthusiasm for the first few days. Then it gets trickier; you forget to wash your running gear so you skip a day or you eat out with friends and are tempted by that indulgent chocolate dessert.

Why does this happen? After all, we want to make these changes.

The truth is, we’re simply out of practice! We’re so used to our routine that we’re not ready to try new activities or make different decisions.
Our brains have gone on autopilot, tuning out anything new or difficult because we’re not interested.

This is why so many of us find making changes hard.

So how can we turn this around and learn to embrace change?

We need to wake up our brains. We need to get it off the sofa and back at the control panel of our life.

Your brain is living it up at the moment, feet up and headphones on. It knows your habits and routines – and it doesn’t expect you to do anything different. But if you want to change or improve your life, different is essential.

So you need to shake things up and convince your brain to get off that sofa. You need to prepare it to embrace change.

One fun and easy way of doing this is to make lots of little changes to your daily life.

This can be anything:

• brushing teeth with your other hand
• listening to a new radio station
• choosing a different flavour tea
• taking another route to work
• ordering Chinese takeaway instead of Indian

Every little change you make is a new experience, a new chance to learn something. 

You might find out you’re a pro at left-handed teeth-brushing. You could develop a taste for peppermint tea or discover that you quite enjoy country music.

Granted, not every change will be successful. You might spill toothpaste down your shirt or have an awful journey to work.

But that is just as valuable. The world hasn’t ended and you’ve still learned something new.

The important thing is that you will be waking up your brain. Every time you decide to try something new, you will be sending a message to your brain.

You will be telling it that you are serious about embracing change. That you want to seek out new and exciting opportunities. That you are committed to improving your life.

And as long as you give your brain time to adjust, it will get on board. Try to be consistent and make one little change a day, rather than several changes just in one day.

Once your brain is convinced that change is important to you, it will be your best friend. It will have your back and it will be ready for new experiences.

Within a few weeks, you will feel more alert and more in control of your life. Your brain will be healthier, more agile and more in tune with your desire to change.

You will be ready to embrace change on a bigger scale, change that will really improve your life, whether that is a new diet, a new habit or a new career.

So what are you waiting for? Make a change and wake up your brain today!