Why It’s Important to Get out of the Box

Today, I’d like to encourage you to get out of the box. But first, let’s talk about…

Our box is created by a number of walls, including

• our comfort zone,
  
• our habitual thinking,
• our perfectionistic tendencies,
  
• our conditioning, and
• our routines.

Of course, not everybody likes the metaphor of a box.

For instance, Robyn Jane correctly points out that talking about boxes is actually limiting in itself: “Just by thinking outside the box, you recognize the existence of that box. And by acknowledging that there is even a box in the first place, you posit the idea of only two positions: either inside or outside of the box. And by doing so, you’ve already locked yourself into one or the other.”

So, let’s use a different metaphor. Let’s talk about…

Another way to understand this is that our box is the road that is paved, as opposed to the path we need to forge ourselves.

And, because it is a paved road, it was created for a general public.

It can look like what Morgan Linton describes: “go to a good school, check , […]. Intern at a good company, check , […]. Graduate, check , I was wearing a cap and gown and managed to finish with both University and College honors so was adorned with a tassel and a medal.”

And, there is nothing wrong with paved roads. In some ways, you could say that our civilizations are built on them. Paved roads help us built skills, gain insights, and become productive members of society.

The only challenge with them is this: The paved road takes you to the destination our culture assumes all of us want to get to.

(I mean, really, how can you not want a 4-bedroom house with a white picket fence or whatever your culture’s definition of “the destination” is? *irony off* Not that there is anything wrong with all that if it’s what you actually desire. In that case, go for it!)

Whereas your path, well, it might lead through the wilderness but it takes you exactly where you want to go. (Just remember to bring bug spray.)

And, because I don’t want to fall into the either-or-thinking Robyn Jane accurately called out, keep in mind that part of your path may actually already be paved.

What you have done in the past probably got you much closer to where you actually want to go.

At the same time, your path is most likely less frequented than the standard route your culture proposes. This brings to mind Robert Frost’s words: “Two roads diverged in a wood and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

Jonathan Parker describes “the road less traveled” this way:

“It is the road of determination, not talent…
It is the road of perseverance, not aptitude…
It is the road of delayed gratification, not instant…
It is the road of grit, endurance, courage, and bravery.”

In the midst of all these challenges, your path will still bring you some form of joy and the feeling that you’re on the right track.

With all that being said, let’s move on to…

Grab a pen and paper. 📝Then, take a moment to go through the following process.

(If you want to get the most out of this or if you're afraid of getting stuck, get the "Taking Action Worksheets" and begin by filling those out.)

• Write down 5 things you routinely do
  For instance: “I take a shower while listening to the radio, have a black coffee and then brush my teeth in the morning. I drive to work. At around 12:30, I grab a sandwich from the place next door.”
  
  
• Brainstorm at least 10 ideas for changing your routine 💭
  For instance: “While showering, I could listen to classical music or jazz — I’ve never done that before. Instead of drinking black coffee, I could try a tea. Or, I could wait to drink my coffee at work. It sounds kinda gross but I could also put coconut oil in my coffee. I could brush my teeth with my left hand. Instead of driving to work, I could try public transit or maybe even taking the bike. I could have lunch earlier or later. I could also bring lunch from home….”
  
  
• For the next 5 days, plan to change 1 thing in your routine each day
  For instance: “So, I’ll start small and brush my teeth with my left hand tomorrow. The day after, I’ll bring lunch from home. The day after that, I’ll try public transit to get to work. For the two remaining days, I’m off work and I think I’ll experiment with putting coconut oil in my coffee and listening to different music under the shower.”
  
  
• Go ahead and follow through on your plan

If you want to live your passion and purpose, remember that you’ll generally need to forge your own path — because your passion is rarely in the box. So go get out of the box.

Experiment with things that take you out of your comfort zone, your habitual thinking, your conditioning, and your routines. This can be as simple as switching up your daily habits by, for instance, using your non-dominant hand to brush your teeth or taking a different route to work.