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Though I personally find the movie a little bland, I’ve realized recently that the movie “Yes Man”- something of a desperate attempt to revive Jim Carrey’s career by reviving the whole “Liar, Liar” concept- is actually an interesting movie. Built on the premise that Jim Carrey must say “Yes” to everything, he watches as his life explodes in new, fun, and interesting ways- and that his normal, incredibly limited life, sucked horribly. This is actually not too far from the truth- while there’s always an advantage to being smart and restrained, more often than not, your average Joe gets caught up in doing the same old stuff every day- and it makes him a very boring, uninteresting person. Here are some ways to combat that.

5. Do something you normally would never do.

Sure, you may have a lot of hobbies and interests- but are you really stepping outside of your comfort zone? Try doing so as much as possible- even if it seems awkward and stupid (which is often the idea), you grow from it much more than you ever would doing the same thing every day. This isn’t saying you should go immediately go bungie jumping or go sign yourself up for the military- rather, you should simply find ways in which you can do stuff you normally don’t do. Go to a play or an opera. Learn a new language. Go skydiving. Go to a party you would normally never go to. Do something that you would normally never do in your life- you might be pleasantly surprised at how much fun you have.

4. Cut down on the sweets/junk food and drink more water.

As I (and many nutritionists) have said incessantly, drinking/eating excessive amounts of junk food and sweets- be it candy, chips, baked goods, etc- will make you fat, sluggish, and  uninteresting. Everything works in a vicious cycle- as you eat more junk food and the like, you feel tired when you don’t eat said food- and the taste grows, you eat more, you get fatter, you have less energy as the food isn’t giving you anything nutritionally, and you become a proverbial couch potato. Trash the candy and chips and drink more water and eat more vegetables- it will help you in virtually evry aspect of your life, give you more energy to do more with your day, and slim you down.

3. Plan a Trip and get out.

Stop being locked up in your state/country/continent. Pack only what you absolutely need and get out- go traveling in Europe or in Asia, see what you want to see, do stuff for fun. Don’t get stuck on a saccharine trip with a tour guide and the proverbial condom of safety associated with having someone dictate things for you- go out and find things on your own. Make a temporary itinerary of stuff to do, and break it as much as possible. Get lost. Put yourself in an environment away from your computer, your work, and the safety of air conditioning and heat- you will become a better person for it.

2. Clean, consolidate, and eBay.

Chances are, you don’t need everything you have. Don’t be too much of a pack rat- it means you have too much in your life. Don’t get caught up in the frenzy of being an obsessive “collector” of things- though you may find it important to have all the movies/games/books you could ever want, sometimes it’s better to be mobile, relaxed, and open rather than to cram your apartment full of things you don’t need. Trash old stuff you don’t need anymore. Get digital copies of music and old video games (legally, please) and sell the hard copies. Sell or donate old schoolbooks and old clothing- someone else could use them much more than you could ever do so. With some of the money you get back, you could always buy new, better, much more useful things!

1. Improve your Resume

The problem with even the most successful people is invariably they end up getting stuck in a “rut”- once they get out of school and get a nice job, there is this overwhelming feeling of “I’m done”-ness that makes them, well, boring. Amusingly, graduate schools and employers are now less and less looking at the “normal” things such as your GPA and your class rank- oftentimes, they look at extracurricular activities and previous employers- which, unfortunately, sends such “boring” people to the back of the proverbial line. If you have the opportunity/availability, go out and get yourself accredited in whatever you may know how to do- for example, go get an A+ certification for your computer knowledge, or get certified as a personal trainer if you’re a health nut. Go out and do freelance work or donate your time for extra references on your resume. Take classes on the weekends. Do SOMETHING- with this economy, anything is good.

In general, though, the message of this article is simple- consolidate, work harder, and live better. Color outside of the lines occasionally. When you get caught up in the idea of doing everything normally- being the “right” person who does everything to form- you often miss out on the bigger picture in life. Even if you’re 60, you still have a free ticket to live your life like you should- don’t live your life like others tell you that you should. By all means, you should work hard- but play hard too.

Tags: eBay, gtd, life, resume, self improvement, sweets