Tag Archives: adventure

Nudged: Investigate free programs, put 1 on the calendar

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Backstory: This nudge is designed to physically get me out of my comfort zone by exploring new places and trying new things. The “free” part may be the big challenge, and I’m going to need to be a bit creative. Street fairs, talks, programs at the library…? I’m feeling curious, and it feels good.

What Happened: This nudge was crazy-fun! I totally didn’t expect that! Here’s some of what I looked into:

  • Upcoming author events at my favorite foodie bookshop. (But I know I’d buy a book, so it doesn’t count as “free”.)
  • Checking out a local writers’ group. (A friend sent me the link. It wasn’t the right fit, but I was touched that she is looking for fun things for me to try.)
  • A Q&A with a local historian. (He’s promoting his new book, and, well, see bullet #1.)
  • A plethora of political events, from rallies to debates to meet ‘n’ greets with candidates.
  • Events and workshops at my nearby public library. (Was all set to go to a crafting event, till I saw it was for teens. Then got excited about a read-aloud event*, till I saw it was for toddlers. Sheesh.)
  • Open galleries and art shows.
  • Food & beverage events. (Found a coffee festival and a “Whiskies of the World” event, but both had hefty admission fees. Phooey. Then found a free chocolate-tasting event. Huzzah!)

What finally sparked my enthusiasm was a link to upcoming holiday events. For several years, my husband and I attended the big tree-lighting ceremony in Union Square the Friday after Thanksgiving. Great way to get into the holiday spirit.

Photo from UnionSquareShop.com

Since this nudge is about finding new things to do, though, I did a little more digging and found:

  • A tree lighting of a 100-plus-year-old live maple tree in Golden Gate Park.
  • The lighted boat parade on the Bay.

And something else caught my eye on one of those sites, so I clicked through and have added a note to my 2020 calendar to check back in the spring for:

  • Japantown’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival.

What fun new things did you discover?

*With Halloween coming up, I’m reminded of a good friend’s really cool tradition. While waiting for the few trick-or-treaters who come to her door, she and a couple of friends cozy up to a crackling fire and read spooky stories out loud. Think Edgar Allen Poe and his “Tell-tale Heart” or anything by Stephen King. I might have to try this on the 31st.

 

Nudging: Investigate free programs, put 1 on the calendar

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Backstory: This nudge is designed to physically get me out of my comfort zone by exploring new places and trying new things. The “free” part may be the big challenge, and I’m going to need to be a bit creative. Street fairs, talks, programs at the library…? I’m feeling curious, and it feels good.

52+: It’s More Than Just Lunch: Taking Inspiration From 52Nudges 2.0

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I love love love hearing from readers about their successful nudges. Recently I got to experience another high: being asked to participate in a friend’s nudge! Here’s Ann’s story. —KGW

Text and photos by Ann Murphy

As Kathleen Guthrie Woods was gearing up for 52Nudges 2.0, I was inspired by two of her ideas: finding fun things to do and exploring the community. I thought, “Why can’t these be incorporated into Kathleen and my every-six-week lunch date?” Meeting at a new restaurant is fun and catching up is important, so why not incorporate lunch, fun, and exploring every time we meet?

Kathleen jumped on the idea of a new adventure, and we scheduled our first outing at The Walt Disney Family Museum in The Presidio of San Francisco. Since we both grew up in Southern California near Disneyland, and given Kathleen’s long association with the Walt Disney Company, it was a mutually agreed upon outing, and it didn’t disappoint.

The Walt Disney Family Museum in The Presidio of San Francisco.

My commute that morning was horrible—one and one-half hours—and if our meeting was “just a lunch date,” I might have turned around when I heard two lanes of the highway were closed due to an accident. But it was an adventure, so I kept going.

A typical San Francisco summer morning greeted us at The Presidio: chilly and fog covered, with just the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge peeking out. The museum is located in the center of The Presidio in one of the historic red brick buildings surrounding the old marching grounds.

Walt Disney persuaded Technicolor to give him an exclusive (in the cartoon field) for two years of use of their three-color process. Changed the industry!

The extremely well-curated museum greeted us with showcases of Walt Disney’s awards, including his numerous Oscar Awards beckoning us from a distance with their gleaming gold. The exhibit on the second level escorts you down memory lane, starting with Walt’s days as a cartoonist and his realization that film was the future.

There are storyboards of early drawings and, of course, the first drawings of Mickey Mouse. The exhibit takes you through the creation of most of the Disney characters: Donald Duck, Goofy, Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, etc. We were also invited to a talk by a docent on the 1954 groundbreaking process of making 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

The furniture from Walt Disney’s apartment over the fire station on Disneyland’s Main Street, USA.

The exhibit gradually descended down a ramp from the second floor to the first floor of the museum, and along the way we saw Walt’s small train that he rode on tracks surrounding the entire outside of his estate. The best part for me was the model of Disneyland, seen from the ramp above. It brought back such great memories of our frequent trips to Disneyland whenever our cousins were in town.

Our adventure did end with lunch, in the Disney café, followed by a quick trip to the gift store so Kathleen could buy Disney “Little Golden Books” for a present.

52Nudges 2.0, before it was even launched, inspired me to think beyond “just a lunch date” and explore the world beyond my comfort zone.  I invite you to do the same.

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area or are planning to visit, Ann and I encourage you to check out The Walt Disney Family Museum.

 

 

Nudged: Finalize The List 2.0

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Backstory: We’re almost there! For the past few weeks I’ve been doing exercises to come up with nudges. (Scroll back through those posts if you want to do them too.) I have a long list of challenges that encompasses Passion & Play, Creativity, Spiritual Growth, Work, Self-Care, Home Care, and miscellaneous fun stuff.

Now it’s time to cut it down.

This week I’m going to read through my list and consider if each proposed nudge fits the following criteria:

  • Is this something I can do in one week’s time?
  • Is it inexpensive?
  • Does it make me uncomfortable? (It should.)
  • Is it fun? (Most should have some element of fun.)

What Happened: Here it is! The List for 52Nudges 2.0.

  • Assemble a gift basket for myself
  • Bake cookies
  • Book 4 hikes/walks with 4 different friends
  • Browse a clothing consignment shop
  • Buy a nice new dishtowel
  • Buy two bunches of flowers – one for me, one for a friend
  • Claim my “Bread”
  • Clean out my makeup box
  • Compliment a stranger
  • Create a chalk message on the front sidewalk
  • Curate my own film series
  • Do a Fairy Deed
  • Do a favor for a friend
  • Do something backwards
  • Do something crafty
  • Do something I hate
  • Do something patriotic
  • Do something that scares me
  • Donate
  • Enjoy a fire in the fireplace
  • Exhale
  • Explore a used bookstore, spend just $10
  • Explore/read 3 new-to-me blogs + comment
  • Find my new signature scent
  • Get to know one great female artist
  • Give a book to a Free Library Box
  • Give in to an impulse that gives me joy
  • Go on a date night at new-to-us bar
  • Go through one bookshelf
  • Go to a park, do nothing for 30 minutes
  • Go to coffee house with an educational book and learn something new
  • Go to the beach
  • Have lunch outside
  • Ignore the laundry
  • Immerse myself in one big project
  • Investigate free programs and put one on the calendar
  • Invite someone “new” to coffee
  • Iron. Seriously, iron.
  • Jump rope
  • Keep a gratitude journal for 7 days x10
  • Learn how to sign a fun phrase in American Sign Language
  • Learn something about my city’s history
  • Learn something from a YouTube video
  • Let something go
  • Limit my mobile phone time
  • Make a list of cities I want to visit; pick one to explore
  • Make a pie or tart
  • Make a plan to visit Krista
  • Make and decorate a cake
  • Memorize a poem
  • No complaining, no whining x7
  • Notice something
  • Phone a friend
  • Pick something from Big To Do List, break it down
  • Plate our dinners
  • Play dress-up
  • Practice scientific prayer
  • Purge the underwear drawer
  • Re-memorize the 50 state capitols
  • Read through an old journal
  • Room by room, tidy the house
  • Say “yes” to something new
  • Schedule a game night
  • Schedule a long phone chat with a friend
  • Send a handwritten thank you note to a client, boss, or coworker
  • Set a small goal and blow it away
  • Sit (and sweat) in a sauna
  • Spiff up my nightstand
  • Splurge on something for me
  • Take 1 photo/day of something that makes me happy
  • Take a hard look at my calendar and carve out time for me
  • Take a weeklong break from Facebook or online news
  • Take journal to coffee house for 1 hour
  • Thank a writer, artist, or musician
  • Throw a spontaneous party
  • Treat my feet
  • Try a new cocktail recipe
  • Use the good body lotion every night
  • Use the good china
  • Use the good silver x2
  • Wander Joann’s fabric/craft store
  • Wear different shoes every day
  • Wipe down the kitchen cabinets
  • Work 2 hours in a remote space
  • Wrap gifts
  • Write “thinking of you” postcards to 5 old friends

I printed it out, cut it into strips, scrunched each strip into a little ball, and loaded them into my special bowl. Each Sunday, starting in three days, I’ll pick one nudge and tackle it during the week.

This list is yours to use, too, if you wish. Feel free to print it out and cut it into strips. Or create your own list, or create a mix of mine+yours. (For inspiration, check recent posts for exercises that will help you develop your own nudges.)

The other options are to simply follow along and do Nudges with me, or read along and take in inspiration whenever it hits. It’s never too late to join in and there’s no “right” way to do it.

Ah-Hahs: It was challenging at times to decide what stays and what goes. You’ll notice that there are more than 52 nudges on The List, and that’s intentional. I want to always have options, I want to always feel surprised.

As I went through this last step, my overall feeling was excitement. I’m looking forward to being delighted and challenged by each nudge. I’m ready to do this, and I hope you’ll join me.

52Nudges 2.0 starts Sunday, September 8!

See you back here Sunday morning!

 

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Nudged: Explore things I’m curious about

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Backstory: Last week I worked with some prompts to come up with tasks that might become Nudges on The List for the re-launch (coming up in September). I was shocked when “3 Things I’m Curious About” yielded only two. What the heck?

So this week I’m going to dig a little deeper and try to find things I’m curious about. I might google random topics online. Maybe I’ll look at maps or pick up a book about reinventing myself. I’ll definitely review class offerings at City College.

What have you always wanted to learn? Was there an academic or career path you let go because it wasn’t “practical”? Is there a skill you’ve always wanted to acquire? Let’s explore those and figure out how to get some of those small steps on our lists for the next round of 52Nudges.

What Happened: I was really nervous about this. Do I feel too old to try new things? Have I given up? Has this whole 52Nudges business been a joke?

Yikes.

I don’t want to put things on The List just to have things on The List. I want each Nudge to be something I’m genuinely curious about, something that makes my heart flutter. But…what?

Time to do some research.

I pulled up the Fall 2019 course schedule for our nearby City College (where, by the way, I have yet to take a class–and it’s free!) and just browsed. Everything that even slightly caught my attention, I wrote it down:

  • American Sign Language (Huh. Maybe this year instead of learning to speak a useful or fun phrase, I’ll teach myself how to sign it.)
  • Art History (There’s a course titled “Women Through Art History”. Now, it could be a semester full of viewing artistic nudes, which, whatever, or it could be a survey that introduces me to the work of great women artists. Instead of signing up for the class, maybe I google “great women artists” and start borrowing illustrated books from the library to learn more about them and their work.)
  • Lost Wax Casting Family (I have absolutely no idea what this is. So I wrote it down to learn more.)
  • Films of Alfred Hitchcock (How cool is this? Of course, I would need to do this during daylight hours so as not to set myself up for waking up screaming in the middle of the night. But–fun! And I could simply decide to make a list of all Hitchcock films–or Scorsese, or great female directors, or Academy Award-winning actresses–and watch them on my own through Netflix or the library.)
  • History of San Francisco (This! This topic keeps coming up for me, so I am going to figure out some way to learn more about my home city. Walking tours, archives, historic sites, books.)
  • Intro to Museum Studies (Not sure if this is an intro course for people who want to become museum directors or–what’s the word?–curators! I had to look that up. But it inspires me to make a list of local museums and go visit them.)

Ah-Hahs: Okay. I feel better about all this. I’m starting to feel excited about what’s coming. There ARE things I want to learn and experience and explore and try and….

52+: Inspiration from Alexandra

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Have you ever wanted to do something really BIG in your life? An experience that changes all your perspectives, an encounter that opens up new possibilities, an adventure that takes you beyond anything you’ve imagined?

Me too.

While I’m focusing on taking smaller steps through the 52Nudges project, my friend Alexandra Epple has taken a huge step–and many steps–forward as she walks 800 km through Spain on the Camino De Santiago in search of her soul’s calling.

Beautiful Alexandra taking a leap of faith.

And I’m following her. Not literally (though maybe someday I’ll make it there), but through her blog and Facebook posts. I invite you to do the same. Maybe trekking the Camino De Santiago isn’t your dream, but I think we’ll all be inspired to find and pursue our own as we follow Alexandra on her amazing Spirit Journey.

 

Nudged: Build “The List” with prompts

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Backstory: I’m gearing up for 52Nudges 2.0, which I plan to launch in September. To do this, I’m reviewing old to do lists and generating new ideas to update The List. When I’ve got a bunch, I’ll type it all up, cut it into strips, roll those strips into balls, and put them into a bowl. Then, each Sunday, I’ll pull one to tackle that week.

Last week I reviewed my Big To Do List and reviewed the musts, the shoulds, the need to dos. This week is all about what I want to do.

I might set a timer for 5 minutes and:

  • take look at course offerings at City College (What do I want to learn?)
  • go online and read up about faraway cities I want to visit some day (Can I get a book about its history? Is there a local cultural center that has programs? Can I get a CD of folk music or a cookbook of cuisine from the library to experience it without the big expense of travel?)
  • list small things I can do for myself (We’re talking self-care: take a hot bath, walk a labyrinth, warm my PJs in the dryer before bed)
  • remember specific activities I loved doing as a kid (Dancing? Reading? Playing games with my friends? What do I want to do again?)

The goal is to find some FUN things to add to the list. And for this week, it’s about brainstorming. I want to let my imagination run wild, then in a couple of weeks I can edit the list for things that really speak to me and for things that fit the 52Nudges parameters (must be able to be completed in a week, not expensive, nudge me out of my comfort zone).

Hope you’ll share some of the items that come up for you.

What Happened: I started by setting my timer for just 3 minutes and jotting down anything I could think of that I loved doing as a kid: baking, playing dress-up, reading Nancy Drew books (and imaging I was Nancy), blowing bubbles, going to the beach, learning new things to earn badges in Girl Scouts, riding horses, talking on the phone with friends and planning what we were going to wear to school the next day. Ha! That last one came out of nowhere and cracked me up. When was the last time I had a phone conversation like that? Shoot, when was the last time I simply enjoyed a looooong phone conversation about everything (or nothing) with a good friend? That’s so going on The List.

I reset the timer and thought about things I could do for myself that fall into the Self Care category: get some really nice body lotion and actually use it, get a real scrub-off-all-the-calluses pedicure, have one-on-one time with each of my siblings, wear the “nice” PJs, create a plan for spiffing up the living room, set aside a night to enjoy a fire in the fireplace. Lots of opportunity here.

Finally, without the timer, I opened a new page and titled it “3 Things I’m Curious About.” And I got only two. Two? Two! What the heck?! Other than San Francisco History and Cake/Cookie Decorating, I couldn’t think of a single class or book or podcast I want to watch. So that’s something I want to explore further.

Ah-Hahs: With all the responsibilities in life, I rarely take time to think about what gives me pleasure, feeds my soul, makes me feel most at peace with myself. And then I rarely take time to do any of these things. This is so much about what 52Nudges means for me. It’s figuring these things out and then doing them. So I’m going to continue brainstorming items for The List, and I’ll share them with you for inspiration. Hope you’ll do the same.

 

P.S. If you haven’t already, sign up to get 52Nudges posts in your email. It’s FREE! Let’s inspire and support each other on this fun adventure. 

 

Re-Nudging: Visit a new market

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I’m on vacation–a real, fully unplugged vacation! While I’m out, I’m re-running a couple of favorite Nudges. You might try them again for yourself, read them simply for entertainment, or use them as inspiration to try one of your own new Nudges this week. When I get back, keep an eye on this space for news about a rebooting of 52Nudges in the fall. I’d love to have you join me. And if you haven’t already, sign up to receive the posts in your inbox. Subscribing is FREE. Cheers! — Kathleen

Backstory: A few weeks ago my husband and I tried out a sushi restaurant that just opened up in the neighborhood. At the table next to us, a dad ordered a table full of items for his two girls, who looked to be about five and two years old. No one complained or whined or insisted she was no longer eating things that were green (or raw or gooey). The two-year-old gobbled up salmon roe like they were jelly beans. It was amazing to watch—so inspiring! When I was growing up, I wouldn’t touch fish unless it was smothered in breadcrumbs and deep fried. And (and this is a tad embarrassing) I didn’t have my first sushi until I was in my 30s. Even now, I order the same things pretty much every time we go out.

Ruts. If I’m honest with myself, I have too many. I need to shake up my routines and expand my experiences. So for this week’s Nudge, I am going to check out a store that is new to me and wander for inspiration. Maybe I’ll go to a spice shop. Maybe I’ll pop into a bakery that creatively blends traditional flavors with contemporary culinary tricks. Or maybe I’ll just go to the big, beautiful, brand-new Whole Foods that’s nearby and see what’s in season.

What looks intriguing to you this week?

What Happened: My first thought was to visit our local farmers’ market, but it’s only held on Sunday mornings, and we almost always have something else to do at that time (see family or friends, go for a bike ride, sleep in). I also didn’t want to take my chances of putting this Nudge off all week and screwing it up (see Nudged: Wander an expensive store). My second pick was a decades-old produce market neighbors have raved about. Apparently it’s like an every-day farmers’ market, and generations of my friends’ families have made it their go-to shop for local fruits and veggies. Perfect!

But as my darling husband and I discussed the Nudge, he suggested I go way outside my comfort zone. Way, waaaaay outside.

“What about the Chinese market you always walk past?” he asked.

“But I wouldn’t know what anything was.”

“Exactly. You’d have to ask, How do you make this? What’s it good in?”

Hmmm…. Wise man, my guy.

So, while out and about walking errands in our neighborhood, between picking up a prescription at Target and returning books to the library, I paused at the Chinese market. Out front I spotted pineapples and ginger roots in bins. I wasn’t completely lost. Encouraged, I took a deep breath and stepped inside.

It was a little like stepping through a portal to another country. The signs were all written in Chinese, and I recognized very little of the packaged goods. Even the packages that had English translations were baffling. What in the heck is a “three tooth fish”?

Salted Dried Three Tooth Fish

Live frogs–for real

But the fun began with the live stuff. Big tanks with crabs and lobsters and fish, and a trash can-sized barrel of…What is that?…Are they moving?…Holy Toledo, that one just blinked!…live frogs, each about the size of my husband’s fist.

I was so not buying a live frog.

Feeling slightly freaked out, I made my way around to the front of the shop and spotted a bin of something that looked like mini cucumbers. For $1.99/lb., I could risk it. I took my one tiny item to the checkout counter, where the woman at the register greeted me with a long stream of I have no idea what. I smiled like an idiot and mumbled “Thank you,” hoping that was an appropriate response to what she had said to me.

That night I chopped up my mystery item and was relieved to discover it was, in fact, some kind of cucumber. I had planned to take a photo so you could see it, but it was so delicious, we ate it before it hit the plates.

Delicious cucumber things

The Ah-Hahs: I’ve daydreamed about, and my husband and I have even discussed, the possibility of living/working in a foreign country for a period of time, maybe three months, maybe a year. While my job can be done remotely anywhere, his does not translate. Maybe we could do it if we won big in the lottery and didn’t have to work. It could happen.

But probably the biggest hindrance is neither of us in bilingual. I’d like to think we could, with time and effort, learn the basics of a language here and be able to pick up idioms once we established a residency, but geez, it would be hard. Just getting around, learning the customs and courtesies, taking care of things like banking and driving, and, well, finding food, would all be exhausting. I imagine myself repeating my encounter with the woman at this market’s counter, of being overwhelmed by the selection of unfamiliar foods, of having her talk to me in a steady stream of what sounds to me like gibberish, and standing there like an ugly American tourist who has made no effort to even try to be respectful. This could certainly happen outside our borders, because, heck, I just had it happen a few blocks from home.

Still no clue what this is

Or would it be exhilarating? Are we too old and set in our ways to pursue a grand adventure? I’m thinking maybe, which strikes me as a little sad, but also a little realistic. I’m thinking it might be enough to broaden our Bucket List of places we want to visit, then be sure we line up some savvy English-speaking guides. Or maybe we start by asking around about authentic restaurants in town. Certainly we have an abundance of choices in cosmopolitan San Francisco.

Inspired, I did a quick google search for “best ethnic restaurants in San Francisco.” Jackpot! I found this article from two years ago.

Afghanistan, Chile, Iceland. Iceland! Something like 70 countries are represented. The article ends with “Forget packing your bags. The adventures offered at these Bay Area eateries require only a love for food and a willingness to try new things.”

Guess what’s going on my List for future Nudges?

Nudged: Take a long walk

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Backstory: This Nudge is about more than just amping up my exercise routine. It’s about getting OUT. It’s about resting my brain. It’s about taking deeper breaths and taking in breathtaking scenery. It’s about moving forward, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

I’m not sure yet whether I’ll use this Nudge to meet up with a friend for a catching-up session, or go on a quiet, meditational walk by myself.

Maybe I’ll do both.

What Happened: I did get out early this morning for a long walk with a dear friend. We caught up for over an hour, with plenty of topics left over for our next walk, which I hope we’ll schedule soon.

But the long walk I want to share in detail from this Nudge was something I did on my own.

I’ve shared recently that I’ve been struggling. I’m having a hard time getting going in the mornings, in part because I am searching for my lost mojo. This week I decided to try to Just Do It by setting a timer and forcing (yes) myself to get out of bed and just get moving.

Wednesday night I set out gear for walking: sturdy shoes, cozy sweatshirt and scarf, water bottle, sunglasses, phone with earbugs. I pretty much rolled out of bed and straight into the clothes and was out the door just after 6:00. Wahoo! My “treat” for doing this was a chunk of time to listen to a great story, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn read by Kate Burton, on audiobook.

I headed up our hill, explored a couple of unfamiliar streets, took in the views, listened to the story. All would have been fabulous if this was it.

But there was more.

I turned a corner and came face-to-face, we’re talking maybe 10 feet apart, with this beautiful creature.

I stopped. It stopped. The best way I can think to describe the encounter was we regarded each other. For several seconds.

Under normal circumstances, this could have been an awful experience. We have a coyote problem in our neighborhood, along the lines of family cats gone missing, dogs snatched right in front of their humans, warnings sent to parents to keep their small children indoors. If Louie (our dog) had been with me, this likely would have been terrifying.

But it was calm. It was…respectful.

I reached into my pocket to get my phone, to take a photo, which the coyote took as a signal to move. Phooey! But then it stood just beside a house and continued to look at me. I took a couple of steps, and it slipped into the garden. Double phooey! I took a couple more steps to peek into the garden and snapped the shot you see above.

The Ah-Hahs: A friend called shortly thereafter and I told her what had happened. “It’s a sign!” she said. “You’re going to have a year of adventures!” Okay then.

Back at home, I continued to think about it, and on a whim I googled “spiritual meaning of a coyote sighting”.

Well!

A coyote is a messenger, I learned, an “important messenger.” A coyote sighting is a reminder to “take a look within, to not take life too seriously, to lighten up, and to learn to laugh at ourselves and even our mistakes”. The coyote comes to encourage us to not just focus on a single problem/burden/concern, but to take in the whole of life.

“Do you feel stuck in a rut?” one site asked me. Uh, yep. Then the coyote came to tell me to stop taking things too seriously, to acknowledge the lighter side of things, and to enjoy life.

All this came to me because I nudged myself to take a long walk.

Wow.

52+: When Nudging pays off

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There’s this local craft spirits distillery I’ve been curious about for a couple of years. When a friend introduced me to their gin, in particular, I was surprised by how much I liked it. I wanted to learn more. I picked up a book about the history of gin. I tried flights at bars and experimented with cocktails at home.

Then about eight months ago, I nudged myself and coordinated a group of friends to go for a tour and tasting. It was fantastic. The whole time we were there I kept thinking, “It would be really fun to work here.”

So I nudged myself again and called them. Turns out they were hiring for the tasting room team, so I applied. And then I interviewed, went through intense training, was tested extensively, and got hired. I’m now there every Sunday alongside wonderful colleagues. I welcome guests from all over the world, tell stories, and learn new things.

I know: Wow!

This isn’t replacing my day job; it’s actually on top of all the other things I do. Friends have suggested I’ll one day write a book about gin, or start distilling my own in the bathtub. (Never say never!) I don’t know. I don’t know who I might meet or where it might lead. The future is uncertain, of course, so for now I’m just having fun. (And getting paid a bit while doing it.)

I have been meaning to share this with the 52Nudges community for ages, but there was part of me that wanted to make sure the job would “stick” before I went public. That sounds silly, now, but I was uneasy. Would they like me? Would I screw up? Would I burn out?

So far so good.  🙂

I share this with you now because I realize all of this came about because I opened myself up to opportunities and I nudged myself to:

  • Plan a fun outing with friends
  • Do something that scares me
  • Take a risk
  • Challenge my intellect and learn something new
  • Pursue a passion

If I wrapped up this whole 52Nudges project right now, I’d consider it a win. However, this experience inspires me to keep going. What might the next Nudge reveal? I am excited to discover the possibilities.

How will you nudge yourself this week? Is there something on the edge of your dreams you want to try? Please hear this from me: Go for it. ♥