Discover The Power Of Small Changes To Your Routines

Every now and again, for reasons lost in the mists of time, we’re lucky enough to have use of a private members gym and pool. 

It’s a beautiful leisure centre set in the grounds of the Royal Earlswood Park, a residential estate on the outskirts of Redhill, Surrey. 

The Queen, She's Gone Round The Bend

It wasn’t always fancy flats and a plush gym though. Right up until the turn of the century it was known as Royal Earlswood Hospital. Established in the mid 1800s by forward thinking philanthropists it was actually the the first establishment in the UK to cater specifically for people with developmental disabilities.

One factoid is that John Langdon Down (after whom Down syndrome was named) was medical superintendent of the hospital from 1855 to 1868.

In the spirit of the times it was called The Asylum for Idiots. But even the Victorians then had a moment, checked in with themselves, and realised this wasn’t the most enlightened title. 

So they renamed it The Royal Earlswood Institution for Mental Defectives. So that was okay then.

Her Majesty’s A Pretty Nice Girl

If you’re a fan of The Crown you might recognise the place I’m talking about. Royal Earlswood Hospital was where the Queen’s ‘hidden cousins’ were sequestered. 

An old school friend of my wife worked there as a volunteer in the 1990’s. The Sun newspaper orchestrated a sting to flush out the royal story and he actually ended up on the front page of the red top.

It eventually closed as an institution and was developed into a residential estate in 1999. History lesson over.

Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls

I’ve used that gym and the pool on and off for about fifteen years. If you’ve ever met me in person you’ll recognise that it’s been more off than on.

In all that time, whenever I’ve finished a swim I’ve always entered the same shower enclosure. It’s been an unconscious but very definite and established habit. 

My shower is the one nearest the largest changing cubicle. I like the large changing cubicle because I can spread my clothes out and pull my top on without banging my arms on the walls, which always seems to happen to me in smaller spaces.

But yesterday this changed. I completed my swim and headed into the men's changing rooms but . . . what’s this!?

My shower was not not available. My. Shower.

Someone was in it. That shouldn’t be unusual I guess but it’s a small leisure centre and I try to go at quiet times. This had never happened before.

I begrudgingly trudged past the short line of individual showers. Reluctantly I chose the shower at the far end, away from the whoever was in my shower.

I had to make do with the shower adjacent to the next set of smaller changing cubicles nearer to the gym entrance. I’m sure you feel my pain.

The Reflex

It wasn’t my shower but nevertheless I bravely stepped in and pressed the button. It was now that I made a discovery that made me feel rather silly. 

The flowing water lasted much longer than it normally did. In my shower the water would finish running after a frustratingly short time. I normally spend most of my shower pressing the button to recommence the flow. Again and again.

I’d just assumed that’s how the settings were, in order to save water and avoid wastage. But in this shower at the other end, only five individual showers further down the line, the water just kept on coming.

It was a revelation. There was no need to keep pressing!

I was slightly confused because over time I’d conditioned myself to push the button as an unconscious reflex. I was like one of the sugababes.

Tell Her About It

Over the years we’ve used the facilities I would occasionally express my frustration about the short amount of time the water flowed. 

“Don’t you find it really frustrating?” I complained to my wife. “You have to press it loads of times just to get the shampoo out of your hair!”

“Seems fine in the ladies changing rooms,” my wife replied. “Maybe it’s the way you’re pressing the button. Maybe you’re doing it wrong.”

A Change Would Do You Good

This week’s Top Tip is to try doing something different. Of course it is. I’ve shared this idea before now. It’s a bit of a favourite because so very often doing things in a new way opens up new perspectives, new experiences and new opportunities.

There are two steps to activating this tip. 

1 - Identify a routine habit. Something you do often but always do the same way. Unthinkingly and on automatic pilot.

2 - Make a decision to do it differently. With no expectations other than to just do it differently.

Maybe it’s brushing your teeth. Think about it. I bet when you brush your teeth you always start on the same few teeth in the same position on the same side of your mouth.

Or maybe the way you go around the supermarket. You’ll always go round the same way, buying the same ingredients to make the same meals. 

That’s not a bad thing. Routines are very important for efficiency and effectiveness. But it can come at a cost of innovation or opportunity. So every now and again do something differently.

Maybe brush your teeth by starting at the opposite side of your mouth. It’s possible that you will notice that in one area you brush very lightly and for a shorter amount of time. There’s your opportunity to improve your brushing.

Maybe go around the supermarket in a different way. Maybe choose something you’d never normally buy and commit to learning how to make a meal with it. There’s your opportunity to learn something new and experience something different.

Turn To Face The Strange

We often think that massive change is the only way to make a massive difference. That’s not always necessary. One small change can make a relatively mundane experience become a fun, exciting time. 

I always feel sorry for stewards at football matches. The ones that have to sit on the ground with their backs to the game so they can keep an eye on the crowd.

Imagine how their experience of the game would change just by turning 180 degrees.

Okay, fair enough, they wouldn’t actually be doing the job they’re at the game for but you get my point. One small change and their perspective and experience is completely different.

Do It Better

We can get so used to doing things a certain way that we inure ourselves into thinking that there’s no other way of working. And there’s a danger that instead of searching out a new, better way of doing something, we just complain about the current situation.

A solution focused approach will usually yield results more quickly if you try different ways of doing things. Every now and again it can be fun to make the positive assumption that ‘there must be a better way of doing this’ and then try to find it.

Until you try something new you might not be aware that there is a better way of doing things and so you ‘suffer’ without even knowing it. Like my crappy fifteen year long shower experience. That particular shower is no longer mine by the way - I've moved on to better things.

Enjoy doing something different this weekend.

Onwards and upwards!