New Year, New Adventure- 5 Micro Adventures

"A ship in a harbour is safe, but that's not why ships are built."

New year, new you? New Year, new adventure!

New years resolutions are so hard to keep unless you REALLY want it, so what do you really want from life?

I've kept my resolutions simple this year and for things I REALLY want. My first is to be more mindful. The second is all about feelings....

If you've been following my blog and social feeds you'll have seen that I'm planning my #DesireMap workshops for this year. Desire Mapping is a core part of how I plan my day, month, year, life. It's all about a feeling. Working out what your 'Core Desired Feelings' are and using them as an anchor for your goals, helping you to reach your true desires.

What we ultimately all desire is joy! The joy we get when we look into a baby's eyes, kiss a lover, dive into the ocean, go horseback riding on that perfect romantic beach holiday, when we discover new places, meet new people and have intimate all night conversations with our soul mates. Wonderful times shared, with wonderful people.

Adventure

That word alone gives me goosebumps and makes me want to plan a trip and discover a new pocket of joy in the world.

I propose we chase joy and adventure this January! They can be found everywhere if you slow down, look up and show up.

You don't need a lot of money or time to have an adventure. Inspired by

Al Humphreys, I have been planning Micro-Adventures...

Finding joy, adventures and new experiences closer to home. Getting out of our comfort zones, trying something new and meeting new people.

5 Micro-Adventures...

1- Walk/ run home from work

This may sound dull but when was the last time you walked home from work? From anywhere? If it's too far then plan to walk part way. It's amazing what we see when we slow down and give ourselves time to look. Beautiful architecture we hadn't noticed, new streets and people who's smiles we catch or strike up a conversation with. Check out Street Wisdom to make your simple 'boring' commute an inspiration.

2- Camping

I love camping! I love 5* hotels too, but there's nothing like sleeping out under the stars to ignite your sense of adventure. Being in the great outdoors is good for the soul and it's a great way to spend quality time with the family, friends or alone. You don't have to go far to camp and there are plenty of great sites if you prefer some creature comforts. You could even camp in your back garden for the night... the kids will love it!

3- Coasteering/ Wild Swimming

I used to live in Cornwall and would get in or on the water as often as I could to surf, swim, canoe and coasteer. There's nothing quite like the rush and adventure of coasteering. Wild swimming, exploring the coastline, rock jumping and being swirled around in the surf. If you're lucky you may even have some seals for company. If you're ever visiting Cornwall, UK, check out;

Vertical Descents.

4- Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP)

Since moving to London I haven't been able to get to the surf much but still manage to get on the water regularly. Many parts of the river Thames are beautiful, peaceful and perfect for water sports such as rowing, canoeing, kayaking and my favourite; SUPing.

Great for fitness and a wonderful way to explore the river. Paddleboards are fairly expensive but there are companies offering tasters sessions, group trips and coaching. You can even paddle to the pub! There are plenty of coaching companies world wide, on rivers, lakes and sea. If you're in London, check out my partner's business; Back of Beyond Adventures, come paddle with us.

5- Fire

Man began controlling fire hundreds of thousands of years ago and we are still just as fascinated today.

You can't beat curling up next to a fire with a hot chocolate on a cold winter's day, or gathering round an open fire with friends to exchange stories. We all become hypnotised by the flames and calmed by the cracking warmth of the fire. So why wait until bonfire night? Gather your friends and wrap up warm for a winter BBQ. Light a fire (make sure it's safe and controlled) and get your ghost stories prepared.