Break the Script—Surprise and Delight by Violating Predictability

Most of your life runs on silent scripts: you enter a coffee shop, order, pay, and wait; every staff meeting starts with the same agenda. Nothing wrong with routines—but they’re forgettable. Research calls these expected actions ‘scripts,’ and studies prove that people remember experiences when someone intentionally breaks the script.

Great brands, teachers, and leaders inject memorable moments by adding surprise: the server delivers a free treat, a class suddenly moves the lesson outdoors, or a family member swaps the grown-up for the kid to plan the weekend. The brain lights up when expectation is violated in a good way, forming a vivid memory. Case in point: that one time a hotel staffer returned your lost toy not just intact, but with a photo album of its “adventures” around the resort.

Occasional positive surprise spices up life and stretches perception of time. Memory science shows that our most vivid recollections come from novelty. Want to feel like life lasts longer? Keep breaking the script just enough to keep things fresh.

Scan your week for routines that have lost all flavor. Don’t overhaul everything—just pick one script and tweak it in an unexpected way: add a game, try a new format, switch roles, or insert a surprise gift. Notice people’s reactions and savor the collective energy shift. Afterward, ask yourself and the group what made the moment so memorable. Try breaking the script again in a different spot next week—you’ll be surprised how the memories stack up.