12 Resolutions to be More Adventurous in the New Year

Looking for resolutions you will actually stick to because they’re something you actually want to do? Maybe you haven’t pushed your limits this year, tested yourself or just done anything that was exciting enough to tell the story. Here are a few tried and tested ways to be more adventurous in your every day life and get out of your rut in 2016…

1. Say “YES” to new activities

…to everything. To all things. Say your friends wants to go paddle boarding and you hate the ocean… guess what? You’re going! The only way to conquer fears is to actually face them. Say yes to more things, even if you don’t think you’ll enjoy them. You never know ’til you try!

2. Try new foods

This year I introduced my boyfriend to sushi, acai bowls and even goji berries (which he now won’t go a day without would you believe). For us it is quite comical because he grew up on a farm and rarely gets away for adventures, whereas I am the opposite and absolutely love to introduce him to new things. You may not be able to travel everywhere all the time, but you certainly can experience the world in your own hometown just by branching out a trying new cuisines! Japanese, Thai and Mexican are a few of my favourites… what are yours?

3. Go somewhere new every weekend

Just because you can’t always jump on a plane to foreign lands doesn’t mean you can’t explore more this coming year. Think closer to home – like a local swimming hole, a day hike in a national park, a trip to the beach or just a picnic in your local park. Exploring where you live can be just as exciting as going to somewhere on the other side of the world – you can’t tell me you’ve tried every single restaurant in town, been to every attraction within a 100kms radius and have nothing left to do! There’s always plenty to explore nearby.

4. Spend more time outside

Whether that means packing a picnic lunch to get out the house, creating a mystical garden over the space of a year or two or just riding a bike down the street like you did when you were a kid… get outdoors and see the sunshine.

5. Learn a new skill

This year I plan to take up water colour painting. I have absolutely no clue how to water paint, but given we live in a digital world where new skills are a mere google search away, I figured why not?

6. Book a last minute trip somewhere

For a (very) long time I suffered from severe listitis. That is, I couldn’t go a day without writing lists and planning everything in my life down to a fine art. Travel was one of things I completely over-planned and before getting on the plane I would know exactly what I would be doing every day for the duration of my trip – down to where I would eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. I finally learned (over the last couple of years) to shake it up and now very rarely make any plans. Its nice to just jump on a plane without any ties once you arrive. Often I don’t even book a return flight home.

7. Read more

Being adventurous doesn’t just have to be outdoors climbing mountains, it can also be in the way you spend your time and how open you are to new ideas. Reading more will result in an ongoing education and you’ll always be learning more about the world around you which will inevitably make for a better time overseas when you do go on a grand adventure.

8. Learn a new language

It isn’t easy learning a new language, especially after you’ve hit adolescence. However there is a secret to learning a new language and even if it is just to reach a conversational level, it is a great way to keep your mind active.

9. Go on more road trips with friends

Weekend – check. Car – check. Friends – check. You’re road trip ready!

10. Make new friends

Whether you change jobs, start a new school year, join a new group or just meet new people in daily life, make the extra effort to find out more about them and if your interests align (or even if they don’t) spend some time with them! You never really know a person ’til you put in the extra effort.

11. Try new Adventure Activities

Step things up a notch by trying something outside of your comfort zone like rock climbing, abseiling, kayaking, white water rafting or bungee jumping. PS: try more than one!

12. Be unpredictable

Grab the check every so often for your lunch with a friend, invite more people out to lunch, try a different scent of perfume… just break the old traditions and become a newer, better you!