A weird thing happens as we get older. Time speeds up.

Remember how long the six-week summer holidays felt as a kid? Endless. Packed with new places, new people, new snacks, new arguments with your siblings. Everything was different every day. And that difference is the key.

Neuroscientists have a name for it: the novelty effect.

The more new experiences we have, the more our brain pays attention. Time slows down because we're more aware. More present.

But as adults, and especially as business owners or leaders, most of our days are pretty samey. We wake up, check Slack, check email, jump from meeting to meeting, do the work, go home. Days blur. Weeks vanish. Suddenly it's June and you're wondering what happened to Q1.

So what?

Well, time speeding up isn't just a philosophical issue — it's a business one. Because routine can be the enemy of growth.

When we stop paying attention, we stop asking questions.
When we stop asking questions, we stop improving.
And when we stop improving, we start drifting.

The case for doing different things

Mixing things up doesn't mean chasing shiny new tactics. It just means staying awake. Curious. Intentional.

Want to feel more in control of your time and business again? Try doing something different - on purpose.

Start small:

• Take a different route to work.

• Book a walking 1:1 instead of another Zoom.

• Call a client you haven't spoken to in a while - just to chat.

• Spend a morning shadowing a junior team member and really seeing how they work.

That shift in rhythm does more than just refresh your brain. It signals to your team that change is normal - even welcome.

Same goes for your operations

At Mission: Purple, we often get called in when things feel stuck. A business is plateauing. A team's disengaged. Processes have calcified.

And almost always, it's not because people don't care or aren't smart. It's because the business has become too familiar. Routines are running the show.

When you've always used that spreadsheet.
When you've always done client handovers that way.
When the Monday meeting has become background noise.

That's when it's time to ask: What could we do differently here?

Try this:

This week, ask your leadership team one question:

"What's something we keep doing the same way, but have never questioned?"

You might be surprised by the answers.

It could be how you price projects.
Or how long your team spends on admin.
Or how little feedback loops exist between departments.

Whatever comes up - that's your invitation. Your reminder that things can be done differently. And better.

Doing different things doesn't mean chasing chaos. It just means staying awake at the wheel.

Your business deserves your full attention. And sometimes, all that takes is stepping slightly off the beaten path - just enough to see things with fresh eyes again.

Latest posts in our blog