Every year on January 1, millions of people around the globe use a word small in size, but big in meaning. That word? New.
We say “Happy New Year,” and we declare our “new” goals for the year. But somewhere in the midst of our daily routines, that “new” experience, goal or adventure gets lost.
When you’re ready to embark on a quest to find the new, here are some things to try.
1. Writing
Writing may not be your X factor, but everyone has a story to tell. Consider starting a blog to document what’s going on in your life. You can make it specific to your interests or your career. Or you could keep it wide open for whatever thoughts frolic through your mind. And if a public blog is, well, too public, you could try journaling.
2. Cooking
Cooking gets a bad rap for being time-consuming, messy, and demanding. You may not be the next celebrity chef, but every once and a while, it’s fun to create a big meal for yourself (or your friends and family). And you may be surprised at how well you do!
3. Dancing
It’s always good to get your body moving. And it’s even better when you move your body to music! Try a new form of dance, or one new to you. Dancing offers you creativity, physical activity and social interaction all at the same time – a win-win-win!
4. Gardening
One of the joys in having your own garden is eating the food you grew. The challenge with gardening? You need space. But it doesn’t have to be large; box, container or window gardening can be done in relatively small areas, even if you are an apartment dweller. Growing your own fruits, veggies, and herbs can be very rewarding.
5. Hiking
Depending on where you live, mountains may be very accessible to you. If that’s the case, take advantage of trails in your area by going on hikes regularly. But even if you’re not close to mountains, there are trails in parks, nature preserves and wilderness areas. Hiking is good for your body and provides beautiful sights to see.
6. Learning a New Language
You know that language you were always wanting to learn? Seize this time as the perfect opportunity to start. If traveling for an immersion “in-country” language training is not possible, there are many other low-cost options for learning languages close to your home.
7. Meditating
At first glance, meditation may seem the opposite of exciting. It’s calm, soothing, and quiet. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be exciting, too! Meditation is a practice with a long history of proven value by many cultures. Try it for five minutes a day and see how you like it
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This list is just a sample of activities to get you thinking. Add your own ideas or dream adventure to it.
NOTE: This is the third in a series of three articles about trying and doing new things. If you missed the previous two, you can find them here: Positive Outcomes from Doing Something New and
Valuable Benefits in Doing New Things
Image by Lothar Dieterich from Pixabay