When you think about the things you choose to do today, remember this: it’s your life; it’s your adventure.
If you want to make the most of it, there are three things to remember – three things I learned to get right after years of getting it wrong.
Bloated, Broke, and Bored
About 15 years ago I started noticing things about my life. For one, I was unhealthy. I was overweight simply from eating poorly and being so sedentary. I weighed close to 240 pounds which was a lot more than I realized I weighed, just because I was doing all the right things to get bigger without doing anything to get healthier.
Over the next few years I struggled in a lot of ways. I found myself $20,000 in debt with no car and no house. I rented an apartment, but going from home ownership with equity to an apartment with none didn’t feel like a step in the right direction.
I found myself listless, unhappy, and unsure how to fix any of it. It was a challenging road, sometimes dark, but I knew the only way to get past it was to keep moving.
There’s one thing I think I realized early on. Even though fixing it wouldn’t be instant, I still had to do something. After all, what other option is there? It’s as if there were a voice in my head telling me, “it’s your life; it’s your adventure”. Any decisions I made would impact my future self.
Healthy, Whole, and Happy
It took a few years and some effort, but things changed. They improved over time. I dropped 60 pounds and ate better, more flavorful food. I found joy and excitement in getting out and taking a nice jog around my neighborhood on a sunny day or riding my bike down the local bike trails.
My days became sunnier as I spent more time doing things I loved, and learning to love the things I did. I bought a home, wiped out all my non-house debt, and found a whole new adventure in front of me.
You can too! It’s your life; it’s your adventure! You can make your world as exciting as you want it to be. Here are three stepping stones to adventure to make it happen.
Three Stepping Stones to Adventure
A life of adventure is in front of you. It’s your life; it’s your adventure. Here’s how to make it happen:
- Decide on What You Want: Many people struggle to find the adventure in their lives because they don’t know what that looks like. They settle for quick fixes or something that simply feels different, but it only leads them down the same road. If you want to add adventure and excitement to your life, determine what that looks like. Do you want to be healthier? What does that look like? Do you want to have more money for travel? How much money would you need? Find out what you want so you’ll know when you’ve arrived.
- Take the Steps: Some people know what they want and then never take the steps to make it happen. If you want to live an exciting life then live an exciting life. Do you want to have more skills? Take classes. Do you want to have more friends? Join some clubs and go to some mixers. Make the moves that will change your life.
- Enjoy the Adventure: It’s simple to add adventure to your life, but it’s not always easy. The best way to make changes is to enjoy them. Don’t press yourself to run if you haven’t been running. Instead, make sure to exercise each day, but start out with a walk. Enjoy the trees and the flowers in bloom. Feel the warmth of the sun on your face. Find the ways to make the experience exciting and enjoyable to give you fuel to do it the next time.
It’s your life; it’s your adventure. You can dial it up to whatever level you want. Simply take the steps to make it happen. Then you will find where your adventure will take you.
