Breaking the milk delivery truck routine
My grandfather drove a milk delivery truck in the early 1900s. I imagine that each day his truck followed a familiar route.
He made the same stops, saw the same faces, and experienced similar things day after day.
There’s little doubt that he had a very consistent routine – one that he and his colleagues had slowly improved over the course of months and years.
Consistent routines can be good. They typically generate consistent results and allow for gradual (nearly unnoticeable) improvements.
However, if you find yourself needing significantly better results under a tight timeline, following the same milk delivery route will likely not get you there. You may have to break the routine and create new habits. This can be difficult, even scary – but it is key to achieving something new and better.
Photo by Frank Luca on Unsplash
Patrick Leddin, PhD is a speaker, global leadership consultant, and The Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Five-Week Leadership Challenge. Patrick is an Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University with a thriving leadership blog and podcast, and 25-years of leadership experience. He offers an unparalleled mix of academic rigor and real-world experience.