How to Be Adventurous

Last Updated: December 23, 2022 References Approved

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.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Finding Your Motivation

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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]
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Research source} 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.
- If you're not sure exactly what you want, try imagining you're on a desert island and nobody else's opinion can affect you. What would you want then?^{[2]
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  Expert Source
  
  Kirsten Parker, MFA
  Mindset & Action Coach
  Expert Interview. 22 July 2020.}
- 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.
- Keep in mind that you should only change yourself for you. Don't let other people's expectations and standards affect how you live your life.^{[3]
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  Expert Source
  
  Kirsten Parker, MFA
  Mindset & Action Coach
  Expert Interview. 22 July 2020.}
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).^{[4]
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Research source} Your feelings, thoughts, wishes, and fantasies cannot be seen, but they are very real.^{[5]
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Research source}
- 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.^{[6]
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  Trustworthy Source
  HelpGuide
  Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources.
  Go to source}
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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.^{[7]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}
- If you need to feel safe before you are comfortable doing something new, use meditation and yoga to calm you and relieve stress. 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; 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.^{[8]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Creating a New Habit

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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.^{[9]
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- 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.^{[10]
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Research source} 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.^{[11]
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Research source}
- 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.^{[12]
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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.^{[13]
  X
  Research source} 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.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Exploring Your World

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Find others who share your interests. Humans are drawn to people who share a common interest and have fun together.^{[14]
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Research source} 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.
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Exercise your curiosity. A curious mind asks questions.^{[15]
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Research source} 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.
- 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.^{[16]
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  Trustworthy Source
  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source}
3
Change careers.^{[17]
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Research source} 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 and 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.
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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.
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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.^{[18]
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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.”

Expert Q&A

Question

What do I do if I'm too afraid to be adventurous?

Kirsten Parker, MFA
Mindset & Action Coach
Kirsten Parker is a Mindset and Action Coach based in her hometown of Los Angeles, California. She helps high achievers overcome stress and self-doubt. She specializes in increasing one's confidence and clarity by incorporating tools from positive psychology, mindful habit change, and self-regulation into her coaching. She is a Certified HeartMath Practitioner trained in Stress, Anxiety, and Intelligent Energy Management along with Emotional Intelligence and the Science of Self-Acceptance. She also holds an MFA from Yale University School of Drama in Stage Management.

Kirsten Parker, MFA

Mindset & Action Coach

Expert Answer

Acknowledge your fear. You’re a human person and fear is totally normal and sometimes even helpful, so nothing’s gone wrong here! If you make the fear a “bad thing,” you just create more stress and friction around moving forward. So tune into it. “Follow the fear” and interview your brain like it’s another person. “What are you afraid will happen?” (Your brain will answer with some perceived negative consequence of your adventurous actions). Ask again: “And what are you afraid will happen next?” Keep asking to find out what “worst-case scenario” your brain is actually trying to help you avoid.
Question

Why am I afraid to take risks?

Kirsten Parker, MFA
Mindset & Action Coach
Kirsten Parker is a Mindset and Action Coach based in her hometown of Los Angeles, California. She helps high achievers overcome stress and self-doubt. She specializes in increasing one's confidence and clarity by incorporating tools from positive psychology, mindful habit change, and self-regulation into her coaching. She is a Certified HeartMath Practitioner trained in Stress, Anxiety, and Intelligent Energy Management along with Emotional Intelligence and the Science of Self-Acceptance. She also holds an MFA from Yale University School of Drama in Stage Management.

Kirsten Parker, MFA

Mindset & Action Coach

Expert Answer

In my experience, people are usually afraid of two things when it comes down to it: logistical outcomes (like losing money) and uncomfortable feelings (like embarrassment or shame). These are the answers you’ll find when you interview your brain, which you can then use to take action! The easy part is doing the preparation you need to so you can avoid the logistical worst-case scenario (putting money aside, planning ahead for how you’ll recoup losses, etc.). What people usually struggle more with is deciding that they’re willing to risk feeling unpleasant emotions! But if the worst that can happen when you start taking more risks is feeling hard emotions, and you agree with yourself ahead of time that “I can survive feeling shame” or “I’m willing to risk feeling embarrassment,” then you basically become unstoppable! Adventure away!

Warnings

Know your limits. You are not invincible.

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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.

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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.

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What you define as adventurous might be perceived as annoying, overbearing or high-risk behavior. Don't take things too far.

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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.

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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.

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