We all have routines we follow on a daily basis and become creatures of habit. Having this structure is a good thing for many reasons, it frees your mind up to think about the really important things. You notice when you know your route to work, you think about a great many things, like rehearsing your presentation or mentally preparing for an interview.
But when you are in a new city and you are not familiar, you are focused only on the driving. Some people turn their radios off, so they can give total and complete focus to the road. I might suggest that the folks who are driving the same route aren't really present in the moment of driving.
How many times have you driven home and can't really remember the drive. So routine, clears up your mind to think other things, but at what cost. I think it's all about balance. I don't need to think about how to brush my teeth or take a shower because I have mastered those skills and they don't take up my brain power. I have many great ideas come to me in the comfort of my shower.
The problem with the routine, is that you no longer see anything outside your comfort zone. You park in the same place, you take the same route to work, you sit in the same spot at the team meeting, etc. In your routine, you essentially stop seeing what else is around you, and as long as you are in your comfort zone, you won't see new opportunities either.
To increase your awareness, consciously do something different or notice something different each day. For example, when you are driving to work and want to be a more aware driver, look around and try to see or notice something different on your route.
For example, decide to notice different colors, like yellow - what can I see on my route that is yellow, or how many signs are there on my route to work. Sit somewhere different at the team meeting, people will probably not be happy with you, but what do you notice different at the meeting, did you hear something differently or see something from another point of view. Park your car in a different spot, if you aren't too old to forget where you parked it, and see who you meet differently on your way in.
Go outside your comfort zone and do something different each day and you will begin to see possibilities everywhere.
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