# Mixing it Up By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2022-11-07 There is a persistent banality to existence. Things become stale rather quickly. Perhaps this is easiest to observe at work. One quickly establishes a routine. This can be comforting and a source of competence. However useful it is, it does little to make one’s life interesting. From an analytic perspective, such a situation would lend itself to being modeled. People come into the office (or log in remotely) and engage in work in mechanized ways. Of course, there will be some variation, but in the main what gets done and how long it takes is predictable. If one wants those working to be creative, it is useful to mix things up. Being unpredictable is a hindrance to analytic modeling. It can be an essential aspect of creativity, engagement, and enjoyment. How does one go about mixing it up at work? It doesn’t mean simply joking around or not taking work seriously. What it does mean is consciously and strategically acting against routine. Examining the persistent patterns of thought and action and finding a way to do something appreciably different. A routine is only observable as routine when it is being confronted by deviation. Warning: mixing it up can become routine. Simply going against organizational routine as a matter of course is easy to marginalize. Being a contrarian is tiresome to those engaged in actual work. The key to mixing it up is selectivity. One benefits from being strategic in its application. When the routine is dysfunctional or subjugating that is an opportune time to mix things up. Doing so effectively can open new paths for opportunity and solidarity. #### Related Items [[Routine]] [[Existential]] [[Work]] [[Predictive Analytics]]