Want to know the secret to keeping your life exciting? It's not much of a secret at all when you think about it. It's just that people are unwilling to invest the effort required. The secret to keeping your life lies in avoiding or breaking something that begins with an "r" and ends in an "e." Can you guess what that word is? If you said "routine," you're absolutely right. Nothing sucks the fun out of life quite like routine does. Granted, there are some routines we can't do away with -- reporting for work at 9 a.m. sharp, taking Suzy to ballet class every Saturday afternoon, vising the dentist every couple of months -- but there's no reason for your life to be scripted entirely. Feeling as though you're running on autopilot all the time is the surest way to feeling bored. Whatever routines we have should be interspersed with new experiences. Visit a new state or country. Take up a new hobby. Try out a restaurant you'v...

They say variety is the spice of life. But it's also the spice of relationships. Infusing variety into your relationship keeps it fresh and exciting. Remember the so-called honeymoon stage? You know, the one where you and your partner were getting to know each other and every date seemed like a new adventure? Neither of you had to put much effort into the relationship, your hormones were raging, and any flaws were as yet undiscovered. It's as if you were floating on cloud nine. However, as time passed, the intense passion gave way to a calmer, more mature phase where you weren't all about jumping each other's bones. You grew accustomed to and comfortable around one another. Your foibles were put on your display and your relationship was tested in a number of ways. If you managed to weather such storms and opted to stay together in spite of all the negative qualities about each other that came to light, there's no question that the two of you share a deep...

Life is too short to live on autopilot all the time . While some routine is good, too much of it can make us feel as though our lives are stuck in a holding pattern. The axiom "variety is the spice of life" isn't just some tired cliché. The more you continue to do things in exactly the same manner, the less you grow. Rather than being focused on the here and now -- and what the future will bring -- you're stuck in your old tried-and-true ways. In the long run, this will only breed discontentment and regret. Even little changes can make a considerable difference: Taking a slightly different route to and from work Trying out different restaurants  Checking out new events in town Going to the gym in the morning some days and in the evening on others Broadening your horizons by exploring new cities/countries Changing your look every so often (e.g., different haircut or wardrobe) Eating lunch at different times on different days Considering new job opportun...

There's a well-known adage that variety is the spice of life. This is far from a tired cliché; it's the truth. The only way to ensure that our lives don't get stuck in a repetitive rut is to keep them fresh and exciting. We do this by infusing them with new experiences. That can be anything from traveling the world to taking a different route to and from work each day. We are creatures of habit who tend to get stuck in our comfort zone, conditioning us to live each day in "rinse and repeat" fashion. While a little routine is to be expected, we shouldn't feel as if each day is a rehash of the prior one. If, at the end of the week, you can't remember a single thing that distinguished one day of that week from the other -- if the entire week seems like a big blur -- that's a telltale sign you may need to spruce things up a bit. And no one says injecting some spontaneity into your life has to be expensive. The key is to do a few little things ...

They say variety is the spice of life, but for some people, routine reigns supreme in their lives. Does variety necessarily mean that you have a better life than the next guy? Like everything else in life, what makes a good life is largely subjective. Some people thrive on spontaneity while others like eating the same foods and taking the same route home every day. Neither is necessarily better than the other. A bevy of factors account for these differing ways to live our lives, like genetics, upbringing, and personality. And it's entirely possible that you could prefer one style at one stage of your life and the other at a different juncture. I would venture to say that most people tend to like variety and spontaneity when they're younger and routine in their later years. I am a creature of habit and keep my day quite organized and structured. Know those people who like to prepare to do lists and write everything down in an agenda? That's me. That doesn't mean I ...