Should I Continue to Expose My 'Out-of-the-Box' Thinking?

Dr. Robert Wallace
Wed, 11 Mar 2026 21:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

DR. WALLACE: I consider myself an avant-garde college student. I like to do things differently than most people do, and I enjoy bringing my unique style and perspectives into conversations with everyone I meet. This goes for my friends and inner circle, but I'm also happy to riff on my style and ideas to strangers I've just met.

You could say that I am an "out-of-the-box" thinker. I'm always trying to come up with different ways of doing things that have been traditionally done in only one or a few routine and usually mundane manners.

Some of my friends think I'm tremendously creative, but I'll admit that probably a third of the people who know me think I'm extremely weird. The bottom line to me is to always seek to be helpful, and try to do things in a better way, starting by questioning why we do so many things in a monotonous routine.
Updated: Thu Mar 12, 2026

DR. WALLACE: I consider myself an avant-garde college student. I like to do things differently than most people do, and I enjoy bringing my unique style and perspectives into conversations with everyone I meet. This goes for my friends and inner circle, but I'm also happy to riff on my style and ideas to strangers I've just met.

You could say that I am an "out-of-the-box" thinker. I'm always trying to come up with different ways of doing things that have been traditionally done in only one or a few routine and usually mundane manners.

Some of my friends think I'm tremendously creative, but I'll admit that probably a third of the people who know me think I'm extremely weird. The bottom line to me is to always seek to be helpful, and try to do things in a better way, starting by questioning why we do so many things in a monotonous routine.

Do you feel I should dial this back when speaking to others, or should I simply let my style and personality continue to flow? — Always Seeking New Breakthroughs, via email

ALWAYS SEEKING NEW BREAKTHROUGHS: It sounds to me like you're quite sincere with your perspectives and are simply a creative thinker who starts by questioning why everything has been done in the manner in which it is traditionally handled. I see nothing wrong with that at all, especially if you're friendly, enthusiastic and, most importantly, not condescending to anyone you speak to about your ideas.

In general, I find that it is better for individuals to embrace their true core personality, as long as they can do it in a manner that is symbiotic with those they encounter. And, of course, as long as it is ethical, legal and reasonable. Based on your letter, I say that you qualify for sure to just continue being yourself.

I ALWAYS AIM TO ADD MORE GOOD HABITS

DR. WALLACE: I'm always seeking to make myself open to developing new good habits, and to occasionally adding positive routines to my life when they make sense or as I come across things that can truly help me.

I'm always looking for structure because growing up I lived a very unstructured and even nomadic life, to say the least. Now I'm a college student with serious dreams and goals, and although I'm getting better at adding structure to my life, I still feel like there's a lot of room for improvement.

Do you have any suggestions of helpful routines you've experienced or heard about that I might add to my repertoire? — Aiming to Build Good New Habits, via email

AIMING TO BUILD GOOD NEW HABITS: A quick one that comes to mind, and one I've implemented and enjoyed adding to my own routines, is to take a quick minute every morning to make your bed when you get up and start your day. It may seem like a very small thing, but building this routine, achieving an early accomplishment to start your day, definitely adds a few endorphins to the mornings of most people who adopt this ritual.

This is absolutely not my own idea, as I myself heard about it years ago and gave it a try. I believe there are a few books written about this topic as well that you can look up. My understanding of the benefit of developing this habit is that you score an early positive accomplishment to begin your day, which fortifies your mind to lean into the day, stay pragmatic and move forward toward the next thing you need to accomplish. Think of it as jumpstarting your personal momentum. I feel it's worth a try!