Boost Your Creativity With Adventure Day

"The best way to open your mind is to apply awith what we know, when we stay confined to
jolt of unfamiliarity." - The Big Moo, by Seth Godinour insular worlds, when we think we've had all
and The Group of 33.the experience we need. Getting OUTreverses
Do you notice that your most juiciest ideas neverthis trend. Itblasts the boundaries and breaks the
come when you're staring at the computermold. In Seth Godin's entrepreneurial gem, "The
screen? Do you ever wonder how to get theBig Moo," one writer said: "Too often in the
creativity flowing or how to generate a zest forbusiness world we preserve and revere
life? Are you in the midst of great change andexperience, when we should be challenging and
know there's something new out there but don'trenewing it. Go out and get some inexperience."
know what it is? If you answered yes to any of2 - Adventure Day fills yourIdea Well
these, then it's possible you need to shake thingsOne of my coaching clients asked me why she
up a bit. You need Adventure Day.feels most alive and creative when she's traveling
What's Adventure Day?in a foreign country. I told her that all of that
Adventure Day is a day devoted to breaking outyummy newness requires full present-moment
of the same old patterns of every day existence.awareness every minute. So, not only are we
It's a day set aside once a month when you doreceptive and open to new things - but we're
something different. That's all. The scheduledexperiencing them with our highest level of
activity is up to you.attention. This IS creativity! It's important to be
- It can be something you haven't done since youproactive and productive. But we also need to
were a kid - like roller-skating at the local rink.open up and be receptive because this is what
- It can be something that scares you a little - likereplenishes the well of ideas. This keeps us from
eating a new foreign cuisine, or going to theburning out on productivity.And you don't have to
symphony if you don't know classical music.wait til you have the time to travel to Italy!
- It can be something tourist-y and embarrassing3 -Adventure Day shows you how to be
- like gem mining, or a carriage ride through theComfortable with Being Uncomfortable
city.Ask anyone who has ever performed, spoken in
- It can be something totally cheese-y - like goingpublic, had a job in sales, or run a marathon.
to the carnival in the mall parking lot. (The oneSuccess involves learning how to be comfortable
where Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" iswith being uncomfortable. Once you can do that,
invariably blaring through theyou can do anything! My theory is that the world
cotton-candy-drenched air.)has turned into The Olive Garden. The mantra is,
A combination of fun, a little scary, and really"Keep us safe. Don't challenge us. Fill us up with
cheese-y is optimal. Adventure Day can last apasta and the same salty salads no matter where
day, or an overnight, or a few hours. You can dowe travel." There's nothing wrong with The Olive
it with your spouse, a friend, a business partnerGarden on occasion, of course. But a key
or your mom. Keep it simple and somewhat local.component to success, to creativity, and to
In other words, don't make it into such a big dealaccomplishing great new things is learning to be
that you never even do it. The goal is just to dookay with not knowing what the entrée will
it.taste like in advance!You order some falafel and
What's the point of Adventure Day?see what happens!
I know. I know. You might be reading this andYour Assignment
snorting. "What's the point of that?" Or, "How isGet out your calendar. Open up to February. Call a
THIS going to help me change direction in myfriend or partner and read this article to them. (Or
life?" Well, it's organic. And it works like this:email it to them.) Schedule Adventure Day in ink.
1 -Adventure Day gets you OUT.Show up. The unfamiliar is all around you. Go find
We get into creative ruts when we stick onlyit.