Thursday, May 19, 2016

Familiarity or variety?

Hey you, do you like the familiar or do you prefer variety? One of my very favourite podcasts is the Gretchen Reuben series "Happier". It is a thought provoking weekly series with tips and tricks on you guessed it, how to live a happier life. Recently, one of the podcasts was about familiarity vs variety and our preferences for each.

Some thrive on familiarity.  We enjoy routine, like knowing what's coming next and what to expect. We re-read books . We vacation at the same place, shop in the same stores and know what brands we stick with. We like to know what kind of meals we're having and not leave that stuff up to chance. 

That is totally me. I thrive on familiarity. I like my days planned out. I try not to mind  don't mind too many variations but like preparing myself for them. I'm totally loyal to my brands and stores. Yeah,  I don't do the same thing day in and day out- I  can get bored, like with a type of workout for example but I like knowing that there is time for a workout and I can switch up the actual exercises--- makes sense?  I totally love rereading books and watching reruns. Even with vacations, I like to visit different places but tend to research them like a crazy person before hand to make sure I'm prepared and that there aren't too many surprises... and there are some favourites that I'd go back to in a heartbeat. However, a huge exception is food. I love experimenting with different cuisines, restaurants and recipes.

Others however, thrive on variety. They enjoy mix ups in their schedules, different learning approaches and variations in plans. They experiment with vacations and don't mind if each and every day is different as long as it's productive. D is like that. He's always researching new and innovative ways to do things both at work and at home. He almost never rereads a book. He's always talking about mixing it up and going somewhere new for a few months--- taking time off, renting a house, practising somewhere else for  a bit..... and I nervously  and hesitantly smile. He was the one who suggested our trip to Malaysia--- we went there  for two months in 2013.... but truth be told it really was the experiment of a lifetime. 


I can even tell which one of my kids loves familiarity and which one enjoys variety. A enjoys reading the same books over and over again, playing with the same friends, watching the same shows or doing the very same things. C on the other hand--- girl friend would do something different every day of her life if she could! 


Knowing these preferences are helpful. For myself, as I know what I like, it forces me to push myself out of my comfort zone and not get in a rut--- push myself to vary my routine, chat with new people at a party or try a new activity. Learning is growing!!! 

Being aware of the differences also help me to plan our days, cater to our family's different needs and personalities. Like planning a vacation for example. In a perfect world, I'd find a different spot just for D, maybe a resort chain that I've used before or comes very highly recommended for me (but with tons of variety in food for us all). I'd find one with lots of activities for Cass but  maybe take some favourites from home for A and stick with a bit of routine to ensure the wheels don't fall off the wagon!

 What about you, lovelies? Are you a lover of familiarity or variety?

Linking up with Annie and Amanda.

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7 comments:

  1. I am all about routine and familiarity lol.

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  2. This is something fun to think on. I'm pretty sure I am a carbon copy of . I like familiar but with an optional twist of variety within what I know.

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  3. Oh my goodness, I hadn't heard of this but I am SO all about routine/familiar and my husband is ALL about variety. LOL. I have been very diligent having the kids on a "routine" too but that's more in terms of nap/bedtime so we'll see how they are when they are older! :)

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  4. I am like you in that I want to travel to new places but will do a ton of research to take into account all possibilities. I guess you could say like I "planned and controlled variety". Not a fan of surprises and risk.

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  5. I feel like I'm a bit of both. I like knowing and planning our routine and what's coming next but I'm also ok with those curve balls and not always knowing what we are doing. I feel like I've adapted to both of these better after having kids and knowing that everyday with them can be different yet still staying on more of a routine with them, if that makes sense lol. Beautifully Candid

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  6. I'm definitely a variety gal! I look for new adventure everyday!

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  7. Interesting! Ez is definitely a fan of familiarity but I think Declan is more into variety. I think Joe and I both fall somewhere in between, but overall we stick to the same routine, so probably more on the familiarity side.

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Hearing from you makes me so happy!!

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