Turns out variety isn't the spice of life. Research shows that you can do the same thing over and over again and still derive pleasure from it, as long as enough time has passed between those experiences, says Daniel Gilbert, a professor of psychology at Harvard University. For instance, in a study published in The Journal of Experimental Psychology, subjects who were given their favorite snack once a week reported higher satisfaction than those who alternated their favorite snack with their second favorite. Variety for its own sake interfered with pleasure rather than enhancing it. Says Gilbert, "Ask yourself if you’re doing this for the sheer purpose of variety. Would you be perfectly happy doing the same thing again?" So go on and order that mint chocolate chip for the 67th time.