“Mix It Up Now and Then”

June 29, 2011

Today’s Bit of Advice….

“Mix It Up Now and Then”

I don’t like change.  I think I’ve said it before but my dislike is so strong that I should probably repeat it regularly.  Some people thrive on change but I love stability, predictability, and calm.  Change doesn’t often bring those things.

But, sometimes change brings about good things.  My girls never wear socks with their puddle boots.  Why?  Don’t ask me – I’m only the lady who told them to put the socks on but they don’t like to listen to that direction.  One girl started getting blisters on her foot from the boots and kept complaining to me about the discomfort.  I suggested (again) (for the 17^th time) “why don’t you try putting on some socks with those boots?”  She did and the boots became much more comfortable.  She’ll probably still use the boots with her tender bare feet now and I expect to see her mix it up with socks as well.

On the flip side, I always wear socks with my sneakers.  Who in their right mind would wear sneakers without them?  Really?  But I wanted to get a quick walk in last night before the thunderstorms arrived and I didn’t want to lose a single second grabbing my socks (after all, it probably would have taken at least 10 seconds to go all the way upstairs to get them!).  Instead I shoved my bare feet into my sneakers and laced them up.  Wow!  I couldn’t get over the comfort of those shoes!  I was able to walk for quite a while in them and they stayed comfy the whole time.  I guess I should have tried going naked-footed sooner!  Good thing I mixed it up!

Change in the workplace brings both good and bad.  My sister (who loves to find herself mentioned in my blog!) just found out that her school principal is leaving for a new job.  She will miss him as he was a good administrator and friend.  But she is happy that he will be moving to a great new position.  While there is probably some anxiety in her school about who his replacement will be, a new administrator can bring renewed motivation and excitement to a school, as well as new ideas that promote great successes.  Keeping things mixed up is a good thing.

As a teacher, I have found that teaching the same courses or programs year after year can be very dulling.  Adding new assignments, new students, and new age levels stimulates the creativity and teaching style.  I will be adding two new age groupings to my course load in the fall and I think it will be very exciting.  My husband (who probably doesn’t love to find himself mentioned in my blog!) will be adding three new age groupings to his load.  He is more apprehensive about his course changes but I think they will work out well for him and he’ll do a great job.  Adding these new students to our positions will be very stimulating to our teaching style.  It’s good to mix things up now and then.

It’s just so easy in life for things to get stale.  To do the same things over and over.   To wear the same seven outfits.  To ask the barber for the same haircut for twenty years.   To keep relationships as they are and not progress to new levels of commitment (hee, hee – that reference is for someone else I know!).  But I promise that mixing things up brings rewards greater than the comfort of same-ness.

Really!  Mix it up now and then!  You’ll like it.

Hope you enjoyed the read.