How to Know if You’re Ready for a New Adventure in Your Life
In the spring of 2005 I woke up one day and knew I was ready for a new adventure. I actually wanted more than that; I was in search of a new life. But I had no idea where to begin so I did what I had not been willing to do during most of my life… I reached out to friends and family members to ask for their help.
Perhaps you feel bored and uninspired with your daily routine. You may have a job you enjoy, hobbies that you look forward to, and a wide circle of friends and family. Even if you feel fully supported and satisfied in every area of your life, you may still struggle with wanting something more and not being able to pinpoint exactly what that could look like for you.
The people I reached out to suggested that it was time for me to have a new adventure. Whether you realize it or not, it’s easy to get caught up doing the same things again and again. Sometimes, these routines bring you comfort and peace. But left undisturbed for too long, your routines can become dull and make you feel discontent with your life. Here are a few signs that it might be time to spread your wings and look for a new adventure…
10 Signs You Are Ready for a New Adventure
Sign #1: You Don’t Remember the Last Time You Were Challenged
You’ve been going through the motions for months or years now. Your job isn’t stimulating you. Your hobbies aren’t thrilling you. Your passion projects aren’t making you excited in the mornings.
The truth is most of us do our best growing when we’re challenged. If you take away challenges, you can quickly stagnate and become a lesser version of yourself simply because you aren’t aiming any higher than your current status.
Sign #2: You’ve Gone through a Big Life Transition
You went through a divorce, but your house is still filled with stuff from your former spouse and life. You moved to a new city, but you still don’t feel like you’ve “settled in”. You switched jobs, but you are still navigating the new company culture.
After a big life transition, it’s the perfect time to plan and get ready a new adventure. That’s because your life has shifted and you have space to reevaluate what you want. Maybe your divorce left you with more time to pursue a hobby like horseback riding. Perhaps your new move has given you more opportunities to meet other singles in the area.
Sign #3: You’re Bored
You frequently find yourself spacing out on your commute and while other people are talking to you. You get home from a long day and rather than do a meaningful activity, you find yourself escaping into TV or gaming for hours at a time.
Everyone needs to chill sometimes. But if you’re routinely checking out of your own life, that is a major clue you need to spice things up and consider trying a new adventure.
Sign #4: You’re Playing Small while Dreaming Big
You dream of more than what you’re doing now. Maybe you want to start that side hustle you keep talking about. Perhaps you want to go back to school and finish that degree. Maybe you want to write a book.
Whatever your dream, you keep tucking it away in a corner of your heart. You promise yourself you’ll get to it when you have “more” – more time, more money, or more energy. Only that day doesn’t seem to be coming any time soon.
NOTE: I can help you with starting a new side hustle or full-time business online, and definitely with writing a book.
Sign #5: You Never Shake Things Up
My friends used to joked they could set their alarm clocks by my rhythms. I did the same things each day, seldom varying in my routine. I followed the same commute, listened to the same music, spent time with the same people, and ate the same foods for weeks on end.
While it’s OK to be predictable, there is such a thing as becoming too set in your habits. You can actually cut off your exposure to new experiences when you get into ruts that you never try breaking out of. In my case, I feared going too far out of my comfort zone. Never shaking things up was safe for me, or so I thought at the time.
Sign #6: You Feel Restless
You carry an energy with you that makes it hard to sit still. Whatever you’re doing in the moment, never seems like quite the right task. You find it hard to make decisions, switching between goals and projects.
Feeling restless can be a sign that your mind and body are craving a new adventure. When you’re used to doing the same things again and again, you go into “autopilot mode”, where you simply do what you have always done.
This is helpful when you need to accomplish routine tasks but left too long in autopilot mode, your brain becomes restless. You’re not being challenged, and you start to feel that as an excess energy that you can’t seem to get rid of.
Sign #7: You’re Living Vicariously through Others
You spend your time on social media, studying what other cool people are doing. You listen to your friends’ stories of travel, job changes, or new hobbies with rapt attention, wishing you were in their place.
It’s natural to mentally walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, every now and then. It can be fun to imagine another life. But if you’re always trying to live vicariously through other people, it can be a sign that something exciting is lacking in your own life.
Sign #8: You Can’t Remember the Last Time You Failed
My colleague Dana was stunned when she saw the less than stellar review she received on her job performance at the school where we both taught. She approached the administrator to ask what happened. She had met all of her goals for the year and she was even up for a promotion to reading specialist in our District.
The principal gently explained that while he believed Dana had a strong work ethic, she had stopped taking risks. “You’re not failing at anything. You set your goals in line with what’s possible without stretching for more.”
Sometimes, a lack of failure is a clear sign you’ve stopped trying. It’s not that you can’t achieve more. It’s simply that you aren’t pushing yourself. You’ve stopped trying to grow and improve.
Sign #9: You’re Coasting on Past Successes
You were saleswoman of the year twenty years ago. You ran a multi-million dollar company in the past. You started a successful organization, wrote a book, or launched a speaking career years ago.
But well, you aren’t doing that stuff anymore. You’re still speaking on the same circuits—you haven’t even tried for bigger audiences. You’re still doing the same fundraisers—you’ve haven’t gone after more profitable donors. You’re still writing the same books; you haven’t experimented with a new genre or publishing house.
Some people find a certain amount of success and set up a permanent camp there. It might be you’re scared to fail on a larger level. It could be that you doubt you can go any further. It may be that you are worried about falling flat on your face in front of everyone. But whatever your reason, you’re still relying on past successes rather than taking fresh risks in the present.
Sign #10: You’re Ready for a New Adventure and Change in Your Life
You’ve been living in a situation that you’ve spent months or years accepting. Maybe you thought you couldn’t do something big and bold. Perhaps you doubted you were strong enough or smart enough to make a change. Maybe you let others talk you out of your dreams.
Well, today is the day you can shout, “No more!” You don’t have to accept that the way things are now is the way they will always be. You have the power and the potential to change your life at any moment you choose.
Change Can Be Liberating
When many people think of change, they feel scared at first. This is a natural reaction to the unknown. But while change can certainly feel overwhelming, the truth is it can also be incredibly liberating.
Imagine waking up tomorrow and feeling content, energized and excited to face your next adventure. All because you were bold enough to make a thrilling new choice today.
I would be honored to be a part of your journey and to assist you as you get ready for a new adventure. Reach out to me and let’s make it happen for you!
I’m author, publisher, and entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and if you are interested in learning more about getting your message out to the world please take a look at my recent and popular training on How to Sell Yourself and Your Stuff. Please connect with me on Twitter (@ConnieGreen) and join my list (on the right) to learn more about building your online empire.
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