Need More Adventure? 5 Great Newbie Adventures to Get You Started

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Need More Adventure?

Most know me as the Adventure Woman. I speak and write about my adventures around the globe as well as close to home in hopes of inspiring others to live a life full of adventure. Many ask me why adventure is my thing. Countless times, I‘ve explained that I believe that adventure is a form of meditation. In fact, I can prove that the benefits of adventure outweigh any excuses. That’s why I want to share five great newbie adventures to get anyone started on living an adventurous life.

Debunk the Adventure Myth

Before I go into the five adventures, I must debunk the myth that adventure is only for adrenaline junkies. You don’t have to throw yourself out of a plane or tie yourself to a bungee cord to embrace adventure. Those certainly are excellent advanced options for adventure, but I would like to present a broader definition of adventure.

Adventure Redefined

Adventure is any new activity that is all-consuming that puts you in the zone. It perhaps is fearful, something that you must overcome. Adventure can take many forms: physical, mental, emotional, and/or a combination of them all.

Five Great Newbie Adventures to Get You Started

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1. See Your Hometown Differently

You don’t have to travel around the globe to add adventure to your life. You can adventure right in your own hometown. To see your hometown differently with a different perspective, I prescribe doing it via another mode of transportation. If you drive to work, take the train. If you haven’t ridden a Segway, this is a wonderful way to see your hometown like a kid again. The next time you are invited to a party, take an Uber or a Lift. See your neighborhood and city differently just by being a passenger instead of the driver.

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2. Learn a New Sport or Hobby

When learning anything new, it is all-consuming. You are focused on the task at hand. Perhaps you fancy learning to SUP (Stand-up Paddleboard), where there are no running to-do lists going through your mind as you try to balance on the board. You can try your coordination on land with starting karate lessons or if you have more rhythm salsa dancing. Through learning a new activity, you are on an adventure. You will see how routine activities appear effortless, almost as a breath of fresh air after dancing salsa in heels or sparing with a young karate master not even in junior high.

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3. Take a Mental Challenge

Adventures can be completely cerebral. When was the last time, you played Trivia? Have you ever played Trivia live in a group of strangers? Perhaps you have always wanted to learn Spanish, but you stopped at Spanish 101 in high school. Challenge your brain by getting enrolled in a language course or try a weekly Trivia league in your area. Believe me I challenged myself like this when I decided to learn how to narrate my own audio books. Wow, who knew the world of recording was so complicated? Taking these challenges prepare your brain for other mental challenges, getting better and faster quick recall, decision making, and shifting your perspective.

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4. Do Your Routine Differently

We all have routines, including me Ms. Adventure. I want you to know, I’m not against routines; they are necessary at times. What is important is that you take opportunities to rock the boat and break your routines. One way, you can get the same stuff done, but see your world differently is by doing your daily routine backward or in another way. I don’t mean sleep in the morning and get up at night, but slightly reverse your routine. Instead of going to the gym in the morning, do it in the afternoon or evening. Change up your route to work whether driving the long way home or asking to carpool with another. Sometimes the smallest of changes lead to seeing our world’s dramatically differently.

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5. Give Back

A 241 adventure that many forget about is getting involved in a volunteer opportunity. When you are helping another out at a soup kitchen or as a tutor, you are not focused on what is next on your list or an issue you must solve. You put the others first, whether their meals or their understanding of information. It’s amazing what one can witness about one’s life by helping others.

It’s Time for an Adventure, but Why Not Invite a Friend?

Although these five adventures can be for someone that is new to adventure, they are great reminders for us all. There are proven beneficial side effects to adventure:

  • Enhanced focus
  • Increased energy
  • Better and faster at shifting gears, thus more resilient for when things get tough

So pick one, several, or all of these to add to your life and invite a friend along for the adventure.

I challenge you to answer this question in the comments below:

What’s your next adventure?

As always, here’s to looking up!

7 Responses

  1. This is great Heidi! I love the exploring your hometown option (I live in Vegas for goodness sakes and am always seeking adventure elsewhere lol) and I love the giving back. So often in today's culture and society being so focused on self we forget to love other and do right by them. This is a wonderful article, thank you for the inspiration! Happy 2018!
    • Heidi Siefkas
      Elisa - I'm a culprit of traveling a loooonnng ways instead of venturing in my town. One of my 2018 goals is to uncover new adventures where I hang my hat, South Florida.
  2. I love the idea of the personal challenges here. My next adventure will be a mental challenge at an Escape room in Auckland.
  3. These are very good tips! And a great way to get started on adventure for sure! Thanks for sharing!
  4. Oh my goodness! My IG profile starts with "recovering chicken turned adventurer!" I spent the first 40 years of my life on the sidelines, watching other people do all the cool stuff. When my sons got old enough to do the cool stuff, they teased me. So, I pushed past the fear and -- tada! I'm an adventurer now. If I can adventure at (almost) 52 and keep up with my kids, anyone can!
    • Heidi Siefkas
      Viola! You are now an adventurer! Welcome to the club!
  5. Yes yes yes! Completely agree! Adventures don't HAVE to be extreme sports (although of course they can) but they really are a must for a happy and balanced life. And volunteering is one the the best things I have ever done. Thanks for your great post!

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