Thanks, Sherlock, Now What?
In my last blog post, I talked about how our human brains are wired for adventure. We can’t help it. But there’s a problem: many of us can’t simply pick up and go to Africa for a safari, or Australia to box with kangaroos. Almost everyone is tight on time or money, or both.
Even for those of us who can afford to go on wild expeditions once or twice a year. That’s still not enough, in my opinion. I won’t settle for 340 of my 365 days each year to be boring and forgettable.
If you won't settle for less either, keep reading.
In our hunter gatherer days, we would adventure almost every day when we looked for food. It was required because food wasn’t often in the same place. Once we picked one berry bush clean, we had to look for another one. We would track animals into places we wouldn’t have gone otherwise. Our brain was wired for goal-oriented novelty.
Goal-oriented novelty. That’s not the same as travelling.
Going to a Mexican resort to lie on the beach and drink margaritas is travelling, but if you’ve done it before, it’s not an adventure.
On the flip side, you could be in your own neighbourhood and with the right mindset, you can go on an infinite number of adventures.
In one setting, your brain is switched off. In the other, it’s switched on. That’s the difference.
How to switch your brain into adventure mode?
Yes. Adventure is not a place or an activity, it’s a mindset. It’s also a habit, because we must start consciously in most cases.
This is how it works:
You must accept that adventure can be around any corner, but you need to get creative
Remember, adventure is goal-oriented novelty. It is also anything that involves some degree of challenge or risk.
On your way to work, take a different route. Kind of a lame adventure, sure, but you’ll see something new and also risk being late to work.
Boom - Adventure.
At worst, you’ve developed your mental map of the city and were a few minutes late to work. At best, you saw something that either made you laugh or caught your attention.
And if you’re lucky, you experienced the goldilocks feeling of nerves about whether you’ll make it on time, the momentary “in the zone” moment when you’re aware of your every movement because if one thing goes wrong you’ll be late, and then a rush of relief when you get through the door with one minute to spare.
That emotional roller coaster is an adventure! If you do that first thing in the morning, you’ll feel alert and energized the rest of the day, I promise.
Are you starting to get what I’m saying now about how adventure is everywhere?
Do you have a weekend with nothing planned? Did you get that feeling of boredom, laziness, and subsequent guilt last weekend, and you’d like to avoid that this time?
Do something new. Volunteer somewhere, take a class. Or, decide to walk a half-marathon or a full marathon through your city. You don’t have to wait for an event, just track the distance on a smart watch. If you want to really add purpose to your life, do that and raise money for a charity while doing it.
A couple of years ago, I did exactly that, and I remember that day clearly and probably always will. The day before and the day after? Not a clue what I did.
Here’s the catch
It’s much easier to remain in your current habits, whatever they are. It’s far easier to watch TV for 3 hours than it is to think of something new and then go do it. Even if you do something healthy like go a 10k run every Saturday and that takes up all your free time, maybe it’s time to try biking. Or run a different route. Or go with a new friend.
I’m asking you to develop the habit of constantly breaking your habits.
Habits are normally tough, but this could be a particularly tough one.
But the reward is a life of fun, excitement, adventure, constant learning, great stories, and the feeling of unwaivering capability: the confidence that you can handle anything at any time. What a reward that is.
It involves creativity and effort. Plus, adventures are almost never 100% pleasant. In fact, almost always, they involve some sort of pain or suffering. But guess what? We remember that better than monotone pleasure.
And when the suffering is relieved, it feels sooo much better. If you feel unalive, this roller coaster is what is going to wake up your brain.
Here’s a list of 25 accessible adventures you can start taking today
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Walk to a place you’ve never been in your own city.
Set a radius (3–5 km) and pick a direction you’ve never explored.
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Run or bike a new route without planning it.
Let your impulses take control.
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Do a sunrise mission.
Wake up absurdly early, pick a hill or lookout, and get there before the light hits.
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Do a “micro-hike” after work.
Even 45 minutes on a new trail will flip your brain into explorer mode.
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Cook a meal you’ve never made… with no recipe.
Creative risk + novelty = adventure for your senses.
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Take a class you know nothing about.
Boxing, pottery, salsa, archery… pick something that makes you slightly nervous.
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Go to a meetup where you don’t know a single person.
Social risk is still real risk and real adventure.
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Say yes to the next spontaneous invitation.
No overthinking. No checking the weather. Just yes.
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Spend a day with no car.
Walk, bike, bus everywhere. You’ll see your city with hunter-gatherer eyes.
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Do a solo coffee shop crawl.
Visit 3–4 cafés you’ve never tried before and journal what you notice.
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Volunteer somewhere you’ve never been.
Human connection = novelty and meaning.
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Climb something (legally).
A hill, a boulder, a stair tower, a parking garage rooftop viewpoint, your own house.
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Take a “wrong turn on purpose.”
Build the habit that novelty > efficiency.
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Explore a local historical site or museum you’ve ignored.
Adventurers find where they haven’t been, and get familiar with it.
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Practice “urban foraging.”
Search for murals, lookout spots, alleys, hidden staircases.
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Do a cold-weather walk when everyone else hides indoors.
Being outside when conditions suck = automatic adventure.
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Do a challenge walk: half-marathon distance on foot.
No event needed. Pick a route, pack some snacks and water, and start moving.
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Try a new sport or activity for 1 hour.
Pick something you expect to be bad at. That’s the point.
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Go on a “no phone” walk.
Your senses come back online in minutes.
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Give yourself a spending cap.
“$20 and 2 hours. Find the best experience you can.”
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Take a friend on a mystery outing.
You plan everything. They don’t know where you’re going.
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Spend time in nature alone.
Even a city park feels different when you’re fully present.
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Create a micro-goal for the day.
“Find the highest point in my neighbourhood and get there.”
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Join a group workout or class outdoors.
Novel environment + effort = mini-adventure.
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Plan a “night mission.”
Walk or bike around your city after dark (safely). Everything feels different, sharper, more alive.
Here’s your homework
You have a choice. You can either read this, think “that’s interesting, maybe I’ll do that sometime”, and then promptly forget about it, OR you can take action immediately.
Life is slipping by, so let’s do this now. In the next 24 hours, do something adventurous. It can be pre-planned, or it can be impulsive. The important thing is that you start looking for adventure and follow through. This is how you start to build the habit.
One more thing
On my adventures, I find staying properly fueled with dense, high-quality food to be tricky. Everything is either temperature sensitive, has a short shelf-life, or just isn't healthy at all.
So I created the first legitimate meal-replacement bar for adventurers. It's a healthy, balanced meal that can fit in your pocket.
It's going to launch on Amazon on February 20, 2026. Join the waitlist HERE to get notified when it drops, plus a 20% discount on your first order.
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