Inspired by seeing Jen365‘s blog featured on CNN, Lisa Murray decided to shake up her life in a light-hearted way, break out of her rut and out of her shell … by doing one brand new never-tried-it-before thing every day for a year.
I love this idea.
I know a lot of my “new things” aren’t spectacular, but you know what? Even if I’m the only 23 year old who’s never made Jello shooters before … people who may be laughing and ridiculing me should realize that they too had to make them for the first time sometime.
Yeah, exactly!
It’s all about getting your mind to work in a new way, little bit by little bit, just opening the door to creativity and seeing the world with new eyes. (That, and stocking up on life experiences on the way to becoming a fabulously cool little old story-telling Granny, some day in the far distant future…)
Mind you, sometimes the “new things” are not particularly planned, or pleasant, or welcome. One day, Lisa’s “new thing” was side-swiping another car on a misjudged pass. Fortunately, it was just a scuff, no ill effects, but still… not quite the kind of new experience she’d had in mind!
Lisa tells me that it’s sometimes challenging to come up with something new to do every day — whether that’s as simple as wearing black nail polish or just pure silly fun, like ordering a smile at a McDonald’s drive-thru — but it’s been worth it, so far:
I’m learning to love who I am by not focusing on what others think of me. I’m “finding myself”, getting out of my comfort zone, and providing entertaining reading material!
She’s always looking for new ideas for new things to try… What do you say, are we up for it? Can we can come up with some suggestions for Lisa?
Oh sure, a creative bunch of people like this!
Tell you what, I’ll start it off — just scoot on down to the comments section, and we’ll see what wacky and wonderful ideas come floating to the surface…
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
New thing: Get out some washable markers or watercolour paints and create a summer scene on your window.
New thing: Learn 3 slightly rude words in another language – Russian, maybe.
New thing: Walk around the block and wave at everyone you meet. Better yet, wear a natty little hat and do a hand-tilt wave like the Queen on a public walkabout.
New thing: Count all of the stairs you encounter before noon on Monday.
Bonus Activity: Perform the previous activity out loud, in Mandarin, and count all of the stares you encounter before noon on Monday.
As a reward, drizzle some chocolate on your baked penne with chicken that day at lunch.
New thing: Do (or pretend to do) one of Arnold the Methodical‘s history of odd jobs. Now, granted, the opportunity to learn to drive a tractor does not come to everyone… but why not eat an 8-course meal, design a hat, or grab a clipboard and stand outside a nightclub, faithfully scoring the taxi drivers on driving skills or manners and deportment.
What a fun idea! I’m going to add “doing one new thing a day” to my new things I want to do list.
Thanks so much for this, Jen! I’m going to keep checking these comments for new things to try :-)
Thanks everyone!
New thing: Make an Elvis Sandwich and actually eat it. In front of witnesses.
New Thing: Walk with your mailman/woman as they deliver mail on your street and have a conversation to get to know them.
New Thing: Find a flower in someone’s garden that you like and don’t know the name of and then go about determining what it is and planting it at your home.
(Of course the weather would have to warm up first and flowers would have to bloom)
New Thing: Make your own fortune cookies.
New Thing: Go an entire day without electronics.
I’ve made a commitment to go to the gym every, single day. So far so good. And I’ll confess, it’s as painful as it is amusing. ;)
These are really great ideas!
Haha, my eager-beaver Askimet spam filter really didn’t like Rebecca’s idea about :gasp: no electronics… and it didn’t like Claudia dropping those hints that *some of us* really need to get some more exercise, either!
So… how about…
New Thing: start a petition demanding that your gym start offering Wii classes. Or get on the treadmill (or exercise bike) and text everyone you know with the play-by-play on how hard you’re working out.
How about walking backwards into work tomorrow. Then hopping on one leg back to the car after work.
Nice idea on coming up with something new to do each day. I don’t think I could order a smile at McDonald’s. Strangely, I don’t think I have the guts to do that. Isn’t that wild?
@cardiogirl, I’ve thought the same thing – sure, McDonald’s likes to advertise that “the smiles are free” but I’d need to be a whole lot braver than I am before going to the counter to order one!
@cardiogirl, LOL… those are definitely things I can do! Adding them to my list!
lol…the cheapest thing on the menu at McDonalds in Australia are the 30c Soft Serve Cones…they’re yet to put a price on smiles here Down Under. I’m sure they’d try and up-sell you to some fries with that anyway.
One thing I thought of from my recent experience of having no internet access at my home office for 2 weeks (and having to travel to the local library to use theirs) is ‘reading the local commumity ads’ that appear in the library…I now have a new Yoga Class to attend and my printer is sitting on a gorgeous 2nd hand bamboo table…all from those wonderful ads.
@LA, soft-serve with fries – yuk! But you’re right, they’d try to sell it!
I love your idea of exploring the ‘community ads’ to find great gear and new adventures… that’s something of how it feels to wander around the internet, too … only, just a bit less of that healthy Yoga activity when you’re parked in a chair and web surfing… ;)