Be Adventurous

The formula for adventure is really quite simple: Novelty + courage = adventure. A person with an adventurous spirit might jump out of airplanes, be the first person to volunteer to rescue someone, or even ask someone on a date. You may not be that type of risk taker. If you get motivated and create a new habit for adventure, then you will be exploring a new world in no time.

Steps

Finding Your Motivation

  1. Let go of what is holding you back. Inhibitions are feelings that make you self-conscious and unable to act in a relaxed and natural way.[1] Perhaps you are shy, inexperienced or fearful. In order to let go of what is holding you back you must feel safe with yourself, your surroundings and the people around you.
    • Ask yourself why you want to be adventurous. What do you think it will provide to you? Do you want to be open to all possibilities? If so, you are correct.
    • Conquering physical challenges requires you to overcome mental challenges as well. For example, if you train for and climb a mountain it will challenge your physical abilities and show you how physically and mentally strong you are.
    • Do you think you have something to prove? Are you starved for attention? Why are you seeking a thrill? Do you think it will build your self-esteem? Do you just want to have more fun?
    • Take a few minutes to answer these questions as it will help you craft a plan for action.
  2. Address your fear. If you haven’t been adventurous to this point in your life, then fear has likely been holding you back. Identifying your fears might be simple, or it might take a bit more introspection (the process of directly attempting to access your own internal processes).[2] Your feelings, thoughts, wishes and fantasies cannot be seen, but they are very real.
    • Your fears might include public speaking, snakes, or high places. They may also include talking to strangers, being fired, or flunking a class. They may be rooted in a deeper fear of looking ignorant, being abandoned, or losing your sense of safety.
    • Conquering fear leads to building trust in yourself, your thoughts and actions. You will learn that you can take care of yourself. For example, you may be too afraid to move out of your parent’s house because you don’t think you can do it. If you choose to be adventurous and move out and see that you can do it, you have conquered your fear.
    • Use visualization techniques. Imagine yourself doing activities that challenge you to be adventurous and you coming out of it alive and healthy. These scenarios can be surfing, racing horses, exploring your musical talents or something smaller like asking an athlete for an autograph. Adventures can be big and small.
    • You may be avoiding adventure due to a fear of uncertainty. You must tip the scales from certain toward uncertain to remove mental obstacles preventing you from being adventurous. For example, if you avoid or procrastinate participating in events because you don't know what is going to happen, then set up small excursions that slowly build a tolerance.[3]
  3. Muster your adventurous feelings. Being adventurous entails feeling mentally free, open and willing to experience life. Opening your heart by being kind to yourself will help you build personal strengths.[4]
    • If you need to feel safe before you are comfortable doing something new, use meditation and yoga to calm you and relieve stress.[5] Once you establish a sense of safety and calm you will be more open to adventure. For example, you will go on vacation by yourself to Portugal despite not knowing any Portuguese.
    • Give yourself a push toward feeling free. It can be helpful to say self-affirmations like, "Everything is going to be okay; I'm ready to get started; or this change is going to be good for me!" Being vocal helps as well. Simply yelling at that moment works to expend the energy to move you forward.
    • Take safety precautions. Being adventurous does not mean that you do things that are unsafe. Physically demanding adventures must include a deliberate evaluation of the dangers involved. For example, if you want to learn to race a boat, you must research the safety requirements. Consulting with a professional is advised.[6]

Creating a New Habit

  1. Explore your interests. There are times in life when you get too busy to think about what interests you. If you want to be more adventurous, then you need to take the time to have some fun and explore. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to travel or spend a school semester in a foreign country. Maybe designing sets for stage plays has always intrigued you.
    • If you want to be adventurous in your career, access questionnaires online that help identify your interests.[7]
    • Talk to people who are doing the things that interest you. Ask them if they have any tips for getting involved.
    • You might discover new interests that you didn’t even know about. For example, there might be a martial arts studio that you drive by each day. One day you decide to be adventurous and make a visit. You observe a class and like what you see, and sign up for a class.
  2. Pick a role model.[8] You may know someone who does the things you want to do. She might be a person who seems fearless and accomplishes what she sets out to do. She spends her vacations building houses for the poor, whitewater rafting, and scuba diving in the ocean. You admire this person and you would like to learn from them about being adventurous.
    • Choose a mentor to help you. A mentor can be a friend, family member or someone you are acquainted with at work. Talk to the person and ask, “I am trying to be more adventurous in my life and it seems like you do that really well. Is there any advice you can give me? Would you mind if I checked in with you periodically to talk about this?”
    • You can model your behavior after a professional you don’t know. For example, if there is an oceanographer you admire who has a TV show you can watch the show and follow the person on social media. You can ask the person questions via social media channels.
  3. Make a plan for adventure. Lay out your plans to take a trip, make a change or try something new. Determine how often you want to do these things. Commit to doing something new once a day, week or month. If you schedule your events, making them a “to do list,” you are more likely to carry them out.[9]
    • It could be fun to plan an adventure with friends. Discuss and agree to have each person take responsibility for a task that needs to be accomplished. For example, one person can check on airline ticket prices; another person identifies things to do when you are at your destination.
    • Travel around the world. With proper planning it is possible to travel the world in cost-effective ways. It may be cheaper to do than you think. Investigate costs before you allow it to deter you from being adventurous.[10]
  4. Take action. You can't be adventurous if you sit around doing nothing. Even the quest to become more adventurous, is in fact an adventure. Like any other change in life, you must take action for it to happen. Start with small steps and build to larger ones. Recognize that each step is movement toward your goal.
    • Set your limits and boundaries.[11] Being adventurous will involve doing things that are outside your comfort zone. You may be comfortable hiking in nature, but you have no interest in skydiving. Be reasonable with yourself and know your limits. Don’t be afraid to tell others that you have limits as well.
    • One way to take action is to vary your routine. Avoid getting stuck in a rut doing the same things the same way over and over. Even something as simple as shopping for groceries in a new market will give you a new perspective. Being adventurous can open you to new possibilities. For example, you go to the new market and meet someone who turns out to offer you a job, take you on a date, or he knows someone you grew up with that you haven’t seen in years. This would not have happened without you taking adventurous action.

Exploring Your World

  1. Find others who share your interests. Humans are drawn to people who share a common interest and have fun together.[12] Enthusiasm for life is contagious. If you find a group of people who share your interest in adventure, you will almost never feel alone.
    • Locate groups online and screen them for compatibility. For example, if you like computer animation, perhaps you could find a local animation film festival and volunteer to work there. You will meet people who not only share an interest in animation, but you get to learn about the film festival process.
    • Observe bulletin boards at school or in public places. There are groups that meet and are always looking for new members. Take a chance. It might change your life.
    • Attend an event and ask questions. For example, you attend a motorcycle show and ask one of the curators, “This show is fantastic. How does someone get involved in putting something like this on?” Most people will have a short conversation with you that might lead you to something exciting.
  2. Exercise your curiosity.[13] A curious mind asks questions. You can maintain your enthusiasm for adventure by constantly asking questions. How do things work? What does it take to do that? Why do we have to always do it that way? When can we make a change for the better? Curiosity is at the root of being adventurous.
    • Create situations for yourself that will force you out of your comfort zone. Awkwardness is the first step toward learning something new.
    • Read books about things you know nothing about, then make a point to talk to others about it.
    • Talk to people doing jobs that you have never done.[14]
    • Observe people at play, doing their job, or relaxing with friends and family. Notice the things they do that are similar and different than the way you do them.[15]
  3. Change careers. If you are feeling stifled by your job, then take steps to find a new job that interests you. Financial support is a key factor in exploring new jobs. You want to make sure that you have the financial means to support yourself through your adventure.
    • Develop your resume and examine the skills that you have an how they might apply to a new career.
    • You may need to take additional classes to complete a certificate or degree to enter your new field of interest. This may take time, but the rewards will pay off as long as you see it as a great adventure to make you happy.
  4. Consider moving to a new town, city or country. Sometimes a change in scenery is just what you need. With proper planning, you can make anything happen as long as you stay the course and make smart choices.
  5. Make a bucket list. A bucket list contains all the things you want to do before you pass away. Fill it with everything you've ever wanted to do. It may include visiting every baseball stadium in the U.S., swimming across a large body of water, skiing in the Swiss Alps, or meeting a sports figure. Every item on your list guarantees to be packed with adventures.
  6. Redeem your prior disappointments. It is never too late to do something over. Whether you were too shy to try out for a play, or you struck out in a baseball game on the final out of the game, you would likely benefit from a little bit of redemption.
    • Make a list of the things in your life that made you feel bad, or caused you to be fearful and added to your lack of adventure. Then, one by one recreate the situations and make things right. If you struck out in a game, join a recreation team and with diligent practice you will be hitting in clutch situations in no time. The key will be for you to acknowledge your efforts even if you aren't a star player.
  7. Keep pushing yourself. Once you have felt the benefits of being adventurous, you will notice that it takes energy to do it. The promise of the reward is motivating, and you must continue to push yourself toward new adventures. Being adventurous is invigorating and you can use it as a tool to enhance your life.
    • If you feel yourself settling into a down mood, push yourself to take on a new adventure. Let the rewards boost your mood.
    • Praise yourself for the work you do to be adventurous. Motivate yourself by saying, “You’re adventurous because you are living life to the fullest. Congratulations.”[16]

Tips

  • Ask your friends to remind you that you are trying to be more adventurous.
  • Put a twist on something you’ve been doing for a while. Cook an exotic meal. Wear something out of character. Ask yourself, “How can I do this differently?”
  • Fear and anxiety might be holding you back in life. Seek professional help if you are struggling.
  • New people have the potential to teach you something new that can open your life to adventure.
  • Talk to people. Their stories of adventure can be almost as good as being on one yourself.
  • Always be on the lookout for new things to do. Film a documentary. Take a dance class. Meditate with Buddhist monks.
  • Every adventure you go on results in an interesting story to tell. People love a great story.
  • Find a vantage point atop a hill or at the ocean that has a great view. It will remind you there is a big world out there full of adventure.
  • Get fit. Many adventures require physical exertion.
  • Try something you've never done before and have fun doing it.

Warnings

  • Know your limits. You are not invincible.
  • Have the right gear. Be smart and bring necessary equipment with you for the adventure. It could be a matter of life or death. Always bring water on hikes, and a fully-charged mobile phone with GPS turned on. .
  • What you define as adventurous might be perceived as annoying, overbearing or high-risk behavior. Don’t take things too far.
  • There is a fine line between becoming the person people want to hang out with because you are cool, and the person people don’t want to hang out with because you always cause a scene.
  • Are you out of touch with your feelings and need high levels of adrenaline to feel anything? Stunted emotions may be a sign of depression. Seek professional help.
  • Be mindful if you are engaging in life-threatening adventures. If you have suicidal thoughts seek professional help, and do not put others in harm's way.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/inhibition
  2. ↑ http://psychologydictionary.org/introspection/
  3. ↑ http://www.anxietybc.com/adults/how-tolerate-uncertainty
  4. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3156028/
  5. ↑ http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/yoga-for-anxiety-and-depression
  6. ↑ http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20150525/ENTERTAINMENTLIFE/150529646
  7. ↑ https://www.cpp.com/products/strong/index.aspx
  8. ↑ http://www.researchgate.net/publication/11086440_Motivation_by_Positive_or_Negative_Role_Models_Regulatory_Focus_Determines_Who_Will_Best_Inspire_Us
  9. ↑ http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204296804577124742529431640
  10. ↑ http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-to-travel-cheap/
  11. ↑ http://www.reviewjournal.com/columns-blogs/steven-kalas/good-relationships-begin-well-defined-boundaries
  12. ↑ http://www.psychalive.org/relationship-compatibility/
  13. ↑ https://hms.harvard.edu/about-hms/deans-corner/deans-corner/exercise-your-curiosity
  14. ↑ http://www.quintcareers.com/informational_interview_questions.html
  15. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139552/
  16. ↑ http://rer.sagepub.com/content/64/3/363.short
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