My wife and I recently accompanied our High School students from church to their summer camp in California. Part of the camp experience included Disneyland. I can’t remember walking so much, but that’s for another blog. What I wanted to blog about today was an observation my wife shared with me. We have ridden on Star Tours™️ many times. The ride is a 3D simulator ride that takes you to different Star Wars planets. It doesn’t take too many rides until you become a bit complacent. In other words, you know what’s going to happen. No surprises anymore. But this time was different. There were 20 or 30 kids who had never experienced it. So, every turn and every bump was accompanied by screams and shrills. It made the ride fun for everyone, especially my wife and me.
There was an important lesson we both learned. Fresh eyes to a familiar activity will give it new life. It will also give you a new appreciation. The applications to the principle are abundant. Whether it is a work project, reading a required text, studying the Bible, or even going on a ride at Disney, it will fuel your motivation and infuse joy into the routine. It’s also the key to innovation and creativity. So what do you do? One thing you can do has to do with what we experienced at Disney… Make it a point to surround yourself with others who will share their perspective with you. As they experience things for the first time, it will bring excitement back to you. Let me also suggest that you review your goals for any project. What do you want to accomplish? That means don’t stop setting new goals. Find mentors who will help you keep the momentum up.