Living Adventurously - parts 41 - 51

OVER TO YOU

41. ---* What is your big dream?

"I am 63 years old and just retired... and decidedly not an adventurer. I'm much more into reading and researching and exploring things in my head. But I have taken your advice to try out microadventures. Mine are very micro, but I do feel enormously proud of myself for some of them. The response I get when I tell people ranges from excitement and interest to incredulity and dismissal... which gives me a lot of insight into the mindset of those people.

"My first adventure was to swim every month for a year. I know this is minor. I'm not swimming miles, I'm not breaking the ice at dawn in Alaska, nor am I going to win any medals. But it got me out of my comfort zone. It also got some of my friends out of theirs, because some came to watch and even joined me on occasion."

"I am in my mid-50s and decided I was going to attempt to sleep outside, without a tent, one night every month (but not if it was raining)."

---* What is a tiny version of this?

---* Schedule a date in your diary to do it.

It's hard to peg what my one big dream is. I think it is because my life has a lot of dreams. I am a dreamer. The secret is turning these into realities. So, what is my big dream? There are many ways I could answer this question. I would be remiss if I didn't say my dreams now include my wonderful wife. Whereas our interests and hobbies and aspirations may differ, we are one team and are in it for the long haul. Our together dreams may include starting a family. Children are an adventure in and of themselves. Or so they say. I do not know when this adventure will begin, but we are with God and He knows our future endeavors. As far as local travel goes, as long as we remain in Oregon, I would love to visit, explore and photograph every covered bridge in the state as well as the waterfalls and maybe the state parks. Similarly, I would like to drive down the coast and visit all 11 historic Oregon lighthouses. These are simple yet challenging adventures we can embark on. There is so much we don't know about our own state, our own backyard. This would give us plenty to write about and it will spawn other projects as well. Dare I set a date for these...I hope so.

42. ---* What are your 9-to-5 constraints?

---* What are your 5-to-9 opportunities?

"Feeling inspired by the whole idea of the 5-to-9 microadventure, I packed my van with my camping gear, my bike and all the other bits and bobs needed to do my microadventure.

"I realized that you can pack so much into such little time."

"This weekend my husband and I went wild camping rather than going out for a meal or to a pub. We got someone to mind the kids, went out late and got back by 10am the next day. My husband says it was the best night out we've ever had and is totally converted now."

---* What will your next 5-to-9 adventure be? Schedule it in your diary now.

What are my constraints? Right now it's work obviously. But not just work. I mean, my job has it's constraints most definitely. I have a certain time when I have to be there, online or otherwise. They're counting on me and it's my paycheck. Then there is family which I value.

What are my opportunities? Work can be draining and thus I am tempted to be lazy when it ends. My energy is depleted. But I have a feeling that a lot of this can be overpowered. In part it is in my mind, but not always. I have many opportunities to make the most of my time off and my days off. There is a philosophy behind it. Managing time is hard but also simple. We can be weekend warriors also. Time slips away from us and the next thing we know, a year has passed. What have we done this past year? What was accomplished? Let's review. What are our new years or new months targets or goals? These are questions I want to ask myself!

43. ---* List some ways in which you have progressed over the years. Notice how far you have already come.

---* What is your next step forward?

"I am setting out to cycle the Camino de Santiago, sleeping out as much as I can along the way. I'm 48, and I've never done anything like this before. I've cycled, but nearly always only day trips.

"Last year my husband died. My trip is no sudden reaction to this: I've wanted to do it for a while. But when? And actually starting? Slowly, since his death, ideas and thoughts seem to have come together serendipitously. And now, an opportunity.

"I went for a day ride on Saturday, and suddenly the joy of the moment gripped me - all day. More than ever since he died, I feel that this is something I need to do. To press some sort of reset button and continue with him quietly in my thoughts rather than dominating every last second. I've begun to think that this is a new life that I can shape."

I got married just over a year ago and it's been quite the adventure. This, unlike other adventures, will last the rest of my life. I am excited to see where this adventure will take us, to see what God will do in our lives as a couple devoted. This is a big way in which I have progressed. Over the years, I continue to grow in the Lord and become a better man. It is always a work in progress. He continues to work on me and in this new adventure of marriage, He continues to work in our lives and we look to Him to find our answers and guidance about many issues. I would be lost without Him. I would be directionless and unsure about many things. He is my compass. He is my pilot. He is my Lord. When I think about adventure, I cannot leave Him out. He is integrated within it all. He helped me when I was desolate in the Nevada desert and He watched over me as I walked the streets of San Francisco until sun-up and as I slept in a ditch in Southern Idaho. He was in control as I crossed the Interstate bridge in Northwestern Arizona. He comes along on each and every adventure. In fact, I believe adventure was His idea...

What's my next step forward? Time will tell as they say...but I will continue to grow my marriage and nurture my relationship with my wife and improve my own...

44.  How has your comfort zone grown over the years? Has it begun to contract with age?

"Over the past few years, I've done things I'd never done before and completely gone out of my comfort zone, out of the realm of where I believed I 'belonged'. I ran a half marathon, completed a first (mini) triathlon, decided I'd like to give mountaineering a go, quit my job, traveled, explored. So YES, I'm COMPLETELY with you. Push, push, push. Expand your comfort zone. Why put limits on what we can achieve?"

"I was thinking back to when me and my girlfriend first got together and were doing things all the time. We discovered climbing together by just turning up to an event at the wall. It made me think, would I just randomly do something like that now? If not, why not? Is it just about free time, or has my sense of adventure faded since then?"

Comfort zones are interesting. Clearly they are zones which means they have borders. Borders are meant to be pushed, crossed over. But also they are put in place for a reason...to stick. Some should be pushed and expanded, but others should stay. As far as comfort zones go, push is the name of the game. Kids and adults like to color outside the lines don't they? I believe this is essential when it comes to pushing boundaries. It's a great analogy. I know that my comfort zone has definitely grown over the years. For instance, marriage has expanded my boundaries quite a bit. I also love exploring and going to places I have never been. This expands my borders and helps me to draw outside the lines. Push, push, push. We are not called to remain in our comfort zone. In our society, many people just remain there and live their lives around comfortability. I believe if you know you will succeed, it's too easy. What will you do to expand your comfort zone and push those boundaries?

"Why put limits on what we can achieve?"

45. 

---* What time consuming Type 1 Fun could you swap for something new?

"I would like to do something in life that I find fulfilling in some way. It does not have to be my passion but at least something I believe in and can be proud of."

Feeling fulfilled in life is important. Television and movies are a Type 1 fun I often take part in. No matter what sense of justification I give it, the tube does not bring me fulfillment. There is no satisfaction awaiting me at the end of the day when I become a couch potato. I must shred that potato into Type 2 fun tasks. I'm not saying it is inherently bad to relax and chill. In fact, I think that is vital so we don't go crazy. But at the same time, Type 2 fun is the essence of adventure. It involves danger, risk and the unknown. People often ask why would I do such a thing? If it's not comfortable, why do it? To me, comfort is the dangerous thing to stay in. I want to live. I want to experience risk and challenge. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. I applaud challenge. At the time, it is difficult. I may want to run away or cry, but this is what gives me endurance, memories, growth.

What Type 1 Fun can you swap for a Type 2 Fun?

Stretching yourself hurts, yes. But that is how you grow!

---* What Type 2 Fun activity would you like to try?

"I came out of a nasty relationship and decided to quit my job and travel. I sold my flat and bought a one way ticket to Peru thinking I'd like to go climb a mountain (I'd never been up a mountain before, can't climb or ski, but loved the idea of the remoteness of the Andes as an escape)

"As I sat on the flight, I realized that I had given up everything I'd worked my arse off for ten years to achieve. And I had no idea what my future would hold (until then it had fairly predictably gone from uni to career, promotions, engagement etc.)

"I had a massive panic attack, ran to the nearest toilet and threw up everywhere! There was even remains of my pre-flight burger and beer on the ceiling...

"Anyway, to cut a long story short, during this career break I had the most incredible time, met my wife, trekked, climbed and rafted and discovered for myself that I am fully capable of doing the things I'd watched 'adventurers' do on TV with a bit of a mental push.

"The next steps for me are remembering that I don't need to quit my job and run off to Peru to live this way. The day to day realities of having a family and mortgage can fit into this. Now I just need to work out how!"

"We'd done a family bike ride one afternoon a few months ago, heading north along the river. At the time I'd thought 'Ooh rivers go to the sea, right? I wonder how far this bike path goes along it?'

"So I bought a map, then committed the boys and myself and bought train tickets to get to the first section to cycle. The boys have, surprisingly, fully embraced the challenge, a huge turnaround from the younger one's initial response of, 'But I hate cycling.'

"We've had a brilliant time so far and overcome all sorts of unexpected problems. It has been fantastic for the boys' confidence."

Fear. A healthy dose of fear is included in adventure. When I set off on my many bike trips, there was not one that I absolutely knew I was going to complete. Of course plans always go awry, but I just knew I had to be out on the road, wherever that would take me and whatever would befall me. I crave adventure. My wits have been numbed by all this sitting around. I feel restless. I suppose it would be quite the rush to quit a job, sell possessions and set off into the unknown. Yes, just given those details, that would be Type 2 Fun. I would love to pack up and move to another state or country for a time. That's the beauty of life, nothing is permanent. We can always move back or do this or do that. God wants to see us succeed. My wife and I desire to start a business or ministry together involving elements of adventure like cycling and backpacking. Who knows? But this, starting out is a challenge. There will be risk. There will be danger. There will be the unknown. Isn't that adventure? Type 2 Fun. In the moment it may not be pleasant, but in the end we'll be chatting about it around a campfire, reminiscing about the good times and the challenges. We've got this. But also...what is holding us back? What is holding her back? What is holding me back? Can we name the fear?

Type 2 Fun...cycling across the country, hiking across the country, combining these trips, canoeing down the Mississippi, writing a book, creating a website to further adventures and marketing endeavors, starting a Christian adventure/coffee ministry...camping in the rain, traveling in the elements...Type 2 Fun! Glorious.

---* When will you do this?

46. 

Esse quam videri.  What questions will you ask yourself?

I've never really called myself a cyclist. I know I'm being technical and you're probably questioning my motives or reasons. Bicycling has been my primary form of adventure for many years. I believe it is the best way to see your neighborhood, city, nation, world. It provides you instant exercise, it runs on food. You are the engine. It is cheap. You are able to stop when you feel the need or want. It is slow enough to see everything but fast enough to be efficient. But I don't like to call myself a cyclist. I am a person on a bike. I am an adventurer. I am a writer. But I am not a cyclist. I am not a roadie. I go slow whether I commute or travel across the country. I am a bicycle traveler. If I need to walk my bike for whatever reason, I will. The goal is not to ride. The goal is to have an adventure and gain experiences and memories.

When I chose to cycle to every park in my hometown, I was amazed at the unknown beauty all around me. I went down streets I hadn't been to before. I went up hills that I never knew were there. I went down paths and saw stuff I was unaware of were there. Beauty is all around me. I went in the rain, I went in the cold, I went in the sun, I went in the warm. Beauty is all around us...and the fun part is we don't need to go clear around the planet to find it. Just look in your backyard. Take a photo of that squirrel, flower, leaf, tree, street, cloud, stranger, stream, path. Understand that beauty is out there and thank God for it!

Don't miss out.

"I have esse quam videri stuck to the top of my laptop screen, so it's always staring me in the face when I sit down to write. It's a very useful procrastination killer."

"Finding ways to live joyfully regardless of the commitments I have that 'tie' me down. Cultivating relationships with people who inspire me and encourage me to live my most adventurous life."

"I am now designing the week's food shop and menus around our microadventures. I am no longer mindlessly trudging through the day's domestic duties but planning and scheduling them around our adventure days. My husband and I now study maps in the evening rather than the telly schedule!"

"The moment when you decide to go for a walk in the neighbourhood you've been living in for three years, discover a river with stepping stones and a beautiful bank of flowers, and are amazed by this beauty you've missed for so long."

47.  What can you begin today and then improve by one minute or 1% tomorrow?

That is such a good question to ask. I have begun to workout again, determining what time of day works best for me. I have been improving a little bit each day and each week. I have also been improving my writing by doing it more and making an outline for my upcoming book I would like to write. It is all a work in progress as I have said. We are all consistently improving. Stretching is hard and scary, but that is how we grow.

"Having a child has been an extra motivating factor to show what is possible, rather than to retreat to safer ground."

Do we tend to retreat to safer ground or test our bodies and our spirits to see what is possible? Our bodies are amazing creations. We will always be amazed at what we can accomplish. Our minds are incredible, the most complex in all the universe. Are we willing to walk on water? Are we willing to get out of the boat? We cannot walk on water until we climb out of the boat.

"I've been thinking a lot about the time wasted in my daily life. Scrolling through social media, zoning out in front of Netflix, spending too much time on a work task. I want to become more efficient and accomplish more in all areas of my life, including the adventurous part. I remember when I first discovered microadventures, I was blown away. My husband and I love camping and traveling. But, it always seemed like we had to take time off work and spend a lot of time planning and a lot of money on dehydrated food to have a good adventure. A microadventure was a revelation.

"But I've been struggling with how to actually implement them. How do we choose hiking into the woods after work instead of making some curry and plopping down on the couch? I want my life to feel full, exciting, meaningful and accomplished - and I'm not there yet. I think living more adventurously and pushing myself out of my comfort zone will help accomplish that."

"I've started talking to strangers while having coffee in the morning."

48. ---* What habit would you like to build to help you live more adventurously?

---* Print out a habit calendar and stick it to the fridge. Do Day 1's task and put a big fat X in the first box. Today is now Day One and no longer 'one day'...

I need to print out one of these habit calendars. I love the sentiment of making today 'Day One' rather than 'One Day.' This is motivation right here. I should probably print out more than one as I think about this more. There are a few habits I can think of that I want to actually become habits. If I can do something for 100 days, then I should be good. It'll be easier to implement it in the long-term. Habits I would like to acknowledge include: working out, moving every day whether that is for 30 minutes or 4 hours. A little can go a long way! Walking, cycling, jumping rope, hiking, basketball and other sports. There's a lot we can do each day. I'm good with book reading but I need to not neglect my Bible and continue to read that every day as well as communicating with my Dad in Heaven who gave me this life I live. Other projects I need to include in the coming months include figuring our my outline/first draft of my book, creating a website, researching our business/ministry start-up and adding to my Adventure Board and working towards local adventures.

What habits do you want to see in your life in order to live more adventurously?

49. 

---* What ten lessons has your road in life taught you?

These lessons are pretty great in terms of adventure. I have enjoyed reading them as well as the corresponding book of the same name. Life's road has taught me many additional things such as:

Allow yourself to fail.

Think small, but think big.

Trust in yourself and trust also in God.

If you believe you can, you can.

You are much more capable than you think.

Generate your own thoughts and do not be quick to believe your leaders.

Research and form an appreciation of history.

Love deeply.

Have compassion.

Remember the Past, Live in the Present, Hope for the Future.

---* How can they help you with what you are planning?

"I worry that after a big adventure, I will be in the exact same place I'm in today. Financial, career, relationship stagnation, but with one more big holiday in the past."

"I took your advice seriously and quit my day job seven weeks ago to focus on my writing. I'm really excited."

"Use my weekday free time better. Yes, the house needs maintaining, the dishes need washing. But do I really not have 20 minutes to go for a quick run? To remember what outside looks like?"

ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME // LIFETIME OF ADVENTURE

50. ---* What is your personal equivalent of busking through Spain?

I enjoyed Al's book My Midsummer Morning thoroughly. I haven't thought much about my personal equivalent. Addressing my work-life balance seems like a good idea. Someone once said, "I think it is such a shame that we spend 125,000 hours over the course of our lifetime working in jobs that we hate. What the crap? That's like 19 years. Every waking moment that you're not asleep. Nineteen years straight. How do you manage an unfulfilling job or a position at a company that you're not quite pumped on. And how do you find the time? How do you design your life in a meaningful way when there's all these other responsibilities and obligations happening simultaneously?" It's crazy isn't it? We think this is life. We think this is just the way it is supposed to be. But, what if it isn't? We slave over jobs only to retire years later to finally spend a couple years doing what we want, what we love. It really should be the opposite. But how do we get there? I do understand this is the curse from the beginning, but why don't we make it what we want? Do something we love? Why are we afraid of doing something that scares us? We must begin. We must start small. But we must start. Whatever that looks like, we must begin. A journey of a thousand miles begins with that first step. A leap of faith. Let's begin...what do we have to lose? What if we fall? Ah, but what if we fly?

We need more people who are not afraid of being afraid.

---* When will you begin it?

"My job comes to an end in March, and I have no idea what to do next. Do I pursue my artistic side, (probably unpaid while I learn) or find something I can immediately turn into a career (we could certainly do with the money)?

"I'd like to address my work-life balance. It's gotten out of hand. I'd like to go freelance to hopefully have more time to do the things I enjoy (like wild camping,, weekends away, getting out on my bike.)"

51. ---* What date does the Death Clock predict you'll snuff it? Put it into your diary.

Go to www.deathclock.com. It's quite interesting. It's not meant to be morbid. It puts things in perspective. Obviously no one know when we're going to die. But alas, we all want to live, but most of us don't live as though we want to live. The following date is when the Death Clock currently predicts when I will die:

Friday, June 11, 2055

That's scary. Knowing when you're going to die is not a human trait or right. I do not want to know the hour I will die. What if we knew exactly when we will snuff it? How will our lives change? Won't they change for the better? I know as a Christ-follower, I know where I am going when I die. Life will live on. However, that is not a motivation to give up on earth. There are things I want to do in this life. There are things I want to do with my wife. There are aspirations I want. Dreams. Goals. Wants. Needs. Desires. Adventures. There are countless books about stuff to do "before you die." Most people won't do nearly all these things. But what are we doing with our lives? Perspective. Perspective. Perspective. I know I need to get down to a healthy weight. I've begun to eat healthier and become more active, but there is always more I can do. I need to work on my goals and dreams. Time tries to escape. It's easy to be lazy. It's easy to drive. It's easy to do nothing. If it were hard, no one would do it. If adventures were easy, if a bike adventure was easy, if a walk around your city, if a climb up a mountain were easy...everyone would do it. Everyone would do this stuff. But it's challenging. It's hard. The key though is...adventure is worth it. Are we striving for an adventure of a lifetime or living a life of adventure?

It's amazing how much longer you can live by just being optimistic! Pessimism and bitterness and grudges shortens your life. They eat at your life. As Scripture says, "Rejoice. Again I will say it. Rejoice!" Find your joy! Find your passion! Find your purpose! And live.

What will we change? How will we live? What will we start? What challenge are we willing to take on? What will scare us? How can we be more intentional? Let's get into perspective and choose our story.

What story will you choose to live...? What story will I choose to live...?

---* What story will you choose to live before then?

"So what has prompted my change of mindset?

"After my wife died, my entire world fell apart for a while, and I had a lot of time on my own feeling utterly miserable.

"I'm not naive enough to think that I am the only person who has lost someone close, but this had a profound impact on me. It made me change my outlook and write a list of all the things I simply HAD to do in life. I finally had one of those bucket list thingies that everyone talks about!

"I thought I had made great progress in my recovery by writing this list, but I read this piece today and reflected. Writing a list is not progress.

"Actually DOING the things on the list is the progress and this is something that I haven't started yet. I've put it off again. Despite a huge life lesson, I am still self-sabotaging and putting off the things in life that would bring me happiness!"

"My mum died after a fight with cancer just before my 28th birthday. Sitting in the hospice holding her hand when she was barely conscious was incredibly painful. But we were told she could probably hear us. She had lived an adventurous life, and I had always aspired to live a life like her. I leant close to mum and whispered, 'It's OK, I'll make you proud. Don't worry about me. You can go now.' A moment later, she took her last breath.

"It is this that both pushes me to be more adventurous and also makes me feel guilty when I am not. Even with this, it can be difficult to explain my need to be adventurous to others."

Living Adventurously - parts 31 - 40

OVER TO YOU

31.  Who do you need to write a letter like this to?

Right now. Dare you send it?

The letter we're referring to here is a type of resignation letter. It's kind of like a letter to your boss or potential employer saying that, "Hey, this is a great opportunity and I am sure that this would be the most feasible or reasonable choice, but if I don't take my bike trip or travel to Ireland, or write this book or go on this adventure or that...right now, I may never do it and regret it. So thank you for the opportunity and your time, but I am going to respectfully decline. I hope you can understand. Thank you."

These letters may not be easy to draft and send, but sometimes they are needed. If nothing else, I think a letter should be written to yourself, to myself. Dare I send a letter like this to my reasonable self? It may give me more peace of mind to go out and live. A fear is to be stuck in a rut. No one wants to be stagnant. I do not want to be stagnant, stuck in the doldrums of life. Life is meant to be lived, coming to the end exhausted and battered. Dare we send this letter...?

"I'm camping more, I'm skinny dipping more, sea swimming more, bivvying more, and started getting out with the missus and the kids more as well."

"So far, I've got back on my bike for short journeys and said yes when friends have suggested longer rides that scare me a bit. I've bivvied out - only in the back garden so far, but I loved it. The memory still makes me smile. As does the memory of dunking myself in the River Ouse on the way back from work on a particularly warm day a few weeks back. I've texted the drummer I used to have lessons from before life/excuses got in the way. It took a while (two years) for the penny to drop that my intention of practicing every day for a month before treating myself to a lesson just wasn't working. So, I'm booked back in and will start from where I am.

"They're often just little things, but they add up to a lot. They're helping me to shake off the de-fault mode of perfectionist worrier. Things start to feel more exciting, lighter, full of possibilities."

32.  Send someone a brief email that will pique their curiosity about an adventure. CC me in if you like: alastairhumphreys+thedoorstepmile@gmail.com

"My dad always wanted to travel. Always. It was his passion and he talked about it constantly. But you know what, he never did it. There was always a reason not to. He couldn't afford it, he had to work, my mum didn't want to go... The day after he retired, he paid off his mortgage then booked his dream trip to America. The day after that, he had a massive heart attack and died."

"What I really want to do is live more adventurously with my two sons (13 and 14)."

"If there was an easy answer... I could likewise quit my job as an engineer (which I have actually considered even though 'not really' when I was mad at my bosses' boss or a stupid big-company-decision). Very unsure on this question."

There's always a reason not to go. There's always a reason not to press 'send.' What's keeping us back? Our comfort? The prospect of danger? The unknown? Why must we think these things? It's our minds. They have a mind of their own. Go figure! I've always said that adventure is 80% mental and perhaps 20% physical. If we can overcome that mental barrier, we are well on our way to accomplishment. Perhaps it's 90% mental. If you believe you can do it, you can! If you believe you cannot, then chances are you will not. I have many adventures up my sleeve. I have to ask the question of what is stopping me from making progress on them. Life gets in the way I suppose. Priorities change and circumstances happen. There's always a reason not to do our dream. What I have to focus on is...what's the reason to do that dream! What's your dream and how will you accomplish it? I love the idea of sending someone a brief email piquing their interest in an upcoming adventure!

33.  ---* If you were ordered to start your dream project today, regardless of the obstructions in your way, what would you do?

---* How would you make it happen?

"I have two children, a boy and a girl. My son had cancer when he was a teenager. Although it was awful at the time, the big positive was that he now embraces life and the whole family understands how precious it is."

"I've been doing stuff for years. Overnight wild camps with minimal stuff, paddling village ponds in suburbia, sleeping in hedges, building camps, eating wild food, hitchhiking across Europe. Then I got married and had kids. I had to temper it all a bit because of a boring husband who didn't share the excitement. But the kids are grown up now. I binned the husband, got rid of all of my stuff, left Blighty and regained my freedom. I've rekindled my need to do odd stuff."

Hmm...I have a restless spirit. I've been off the road for a long time. Perhaps that is what I need...an order to start my dream project. Bicycle across southern Canada, hike down the AT, bike across southern USA and hike up the PCT, all in one trip...can it be done? In a year? Who knows. That would be my idea of an ultimate challenge. I wonder...I wonder...who would come with me? Who would support me? What about my motivations? There's clearly smaller and other adventures I can do along the way. Many more bike and hike trips, write a book, start a ministry/business, create a website and a blog following...so many things on my mind. Where do I start? That is the question I always come back to. Sometimes I think there's too much that I don't know where to start...I wonder, I wonder...

34. ---* What practical planning steps do you need to get on with?

---* List them, rank them, then take action on number 1.

"I think the next step I should take is to plan a three to four day bike trip. Usually, this is as far as it gets. I think about it for too long, get excited looking at maps and routes and things, and then it just becomes the best trip I never had!

"I know what I have to do to make it happen, but it usually comes to nothing. I need to follow things through and put some excitement and memories into my 'one wild and precious life.'"

"I need to do more otherwise I'm going to go crazy. Your newsletters and website are a good motivator, I've got more ideas and useful tips from there but now to put them into practice..."

I think the next step I should also take is to plan a three to four day bike trip. Because, why not? Even though we are approaching the colder months, this will be a good step...a chance to get me back on my feet, or saddle if it were! I have been riding some shorter rides, but something seems off. Consistency is the key. I'm approaching 22,000 miles on my bike computer. Bike, walk and move. There are many parks and campgrounds near me that I can utilize, even during this time of pandemic living. Thinking about it for too long is dangerous because it usually never comes to fruition then. A few other things I can do include writing an outline to my book, figuring out the format I want to write, and speaking of writing I can complete some lists and my adventure board to see what I want to do and accomplish. 

35.  What are you over-thinking and over-planning? How can you simplify it? What would happen if you stopped planning and began?

"I don't feel like I need to make a fundamental change to anything big. My life is pretty settled. I have an amazing family, a wonderful group of friends, a job I enjoy, a house/car/motorbike and good health. On paper, I have an almost perfect life! I feel that the biggest change I need to make is to my mindset. I need to recognize that for most things in life, the time is now! I need to stop finding excuses, and I need to stop putting things off. The many things that I have always wanted to do are within reach. The only thing that stops them happening is me!"

"I have generally played safe for most of my life (I'm the wrong side of 50 now). Dutiful daughter/wife/mother. I used to have dreams but other things got in the way."

I am an over-thinker. I know this about myself. However, I'm not much of an over-planner. I like to think I know how to plan. In fact, the planning stage is my favorite. It's fun. I think that is what makes it easier for me. I know what I want and then I plan and do. But the over-thinking is what traps me. Sometimes, I just need to throw caution to the wind and go. Too few people stay and not enough go. Close the laptop, turn off your TV or phone and head out the door into the unknown. Find a new street, a new park, a new corner of your world to explore. 'Never Stop Exploring,' is hung in my office/library and it is a reminder to go in search of experiences and memories. I have loads of maps that I love to spend time pouring over with a cup of tea. I want to somehow photograph my map collection and turn it into a project of some sort. I'm not quite sure how that will look, but stuff like that gets me excited. What would happen if I stopped planning and began? That is such a brilliant question, isn't it? What if...let's ponder that shall we?

36.  When have you shied away from doing something because it wouldn't be perfect? Would 'good' have been a preferable outcome to not done at all?

"I felt like I needed to take better care of myself and slow time down a bit so I decided my 40s would be about 'Mind, Body and Soul' - learning to live in the present moment and appreciating my health and fitness while I have it. Spending time in nature brings all of those things together."

"In my 30s I fell in love with a girl who loves nature but who also likes her home comforts. The sort of adventures I used to relish didn't fit anymore. And without any angst or remorse or even any intention, I gave them up. She was far more important. I was in love.

"We still had small adventures, (festivals, strange foreign holidays, picnics in the snow on the beach in February) and bigger adventures (buying our first home, getting married) and the biggest adventure of all (having our son), but there just wasn't the space available for the sort of adventures I used to take when I was younger. And then 15 years went by and now I'm in my late 40s, I'm ten years married, my son is five. I have a good bunch of friends, I have an unremarkable but relatively easy job, I'm not rich but we get by quite happily. I live a comfortable life, in a comfortable home, in a comfortable village. I'm overweight, underfit and starting to feel like the middle-class, middle-aged, older dad that I am."

Indeed, when thinking about writing a book of my adventures, a type of memoir if you will, the over-thinking stage sets in. What if it's not right? Ah, done is always better than perfect. One could spend eternity perfecting something, but it would never see the light of day. A preferable method is to complete something, then move on to the next project. That is something I am learning as a perfectionist. I like things to be just right, to be perfect. But I know that they will never be. I can write and get terrible reviews, but in the end it will be my project, something I have worked toward. But if I never put it out there, a fear comes up. Right? What happens if I fall? Ah, but what if you fly? I have to learn to pick myself up, dust myself off and keep at it. Keep pressing on. Life doesn't stand still for us to contemplate our mistakes. Yes, we learn from them. But life keeps ticking away. How will I make the most of it?

37. 

 Write a version of these summaries for your own life.

'Living adventurously is as easy as this...'

"Due to the influence of your emails, I talked a mate into the idea of a big off-road ultra run next summer. We run once a week independently, keep each other updated and add distance each week. Then we meet to run together whenever we both reach the next big target (two hours, three hours etc.)"

"Finding ways to live joyfully regardless of the commitments I have that 'tie' me down. Cultivating relationships with people who inspire me and encourage me to live my most adventurous life."

"I quit my job last year. Traveled, went hugely out of my comfort zone teaching English in Myanmar for some of it. And I'm now back where I was, except unemployed! Maybe potential employers will see it as a 1.5 years of idiotic career break, with me pretending to be 21 again (I'm sadly that plus 10). But I have zero regrets over my decision."

"I actually went and climbed a tree. Kids were watching telly or on their devices (both probably). So I walked in and said, 'who wants to climb a tree?' Hell yes! We ran down to the park, picked a tree that looked rather tame and started up it. Didn't take long before I was more than a little intimidated but buzzing with excitement (tree quite a bit bigger from up here). So easy to get a thrill like this. People were walking by, squinting up at us whooping up in the foliage... Pretty irresponsible for a 45-year-old dad, huh?"

'Who wants to climb a tree?' Adventure is as easy as that, isn't it? I honestly couldn't tell you the last time I climbed a tree. When we think of tree climbing, we usually think that's a silly children's activity. But we must understand that we must become like little children to find that wonder we've been striving for. Isn't adventure, at it's very core, childlike? I think it is. This has inspired me to find a tree near me to climb. I don't know where, but I'm sure it's out there somewhere. Adventure is as easy as walking. It's as easy as calling up a buddy to meet at a pub to hatch a plan. Adventure is as easy as cycling a few minutes outside the city to see the sunset. Living adventurously is as easy as walking outside your door! Living adventurously is finding something new to do, exploring a new avenue of life, getting reacquainted with something old, laughing with friends, making a fire, watching a sunrise, stargazing, reminiscing about life and planning the future. Living adventurously is adducting. It is not something old, nor is it something new. It just is. It can be as easy as...what?

38.  The idea of living adventurously reminds me of skinny dipping. What's a comparative metaphor in your own life? What is your version of flinging off the towel of respectability and leaping in?

"Make a commitment to get out of the house and into the wilds once a week as a matter of habit."

"Looking at my own life, in my late 50s I realize I probably have only one or two decades to enjoy good health and energy. Money and time are not the obstacles. It's facing the fear of breaking out of the routine and being perceived as crazy and irresponsible by others."

Habit is where it's at. Looking at my own life, I realize I need to create better habits. Getting out of the house once a week into the wilds or countryside sounds like a fantastic commitment! I don't really mind being pegged as crazy or irresponsible. If people want to view me that way, that's their prerogative. But I can't let that get in the way of jumping into a river or climbing a tree or spending my summer vacation cycling across Canada. That was a fun summer and I look forward to when I can do something similar. Atlantic Coast anyone? As the saying goes, 'we're not getting any younger.' Yeah it's a joke, but it's also very much real. I don't wish to follow everyone else. I don't wish to strive for the American Dream. I view it as the American Nightmare. I want to act, I want to experience life. I want to create memories and live. I don't want someone else to live for me or tell me how to live. That's what society does. It tells us how we are supposed to live. It's littered all through our media. People don't live for themselves. They live under the guise of something or someone else. We're not robots. We have our wills, especially in this country. What's stopping us from living adventurously?

39. ---* What do you dream of that is simple but not easy?

---*  What is the Doorstep Mile action for that dream?

"Okay, so this seems a bit weird emailing someone I don't know about my life but hey, my thinking is that if someone (and that means anyone) knows about my plan then it might just happen!

"I need to get all these thoughts out of my brain and this seems like a good, albeit odd way to do that."

"I've been a lawyer for the last 18 years since I came out of university. I love it and hate it in equal parts. I have 5-year-old twins who I barely see because life is so busy. I'm overweight (by a lot), generally tired and lacking in much mojo to do anything after work apart from eat sleep and repeat.

"I want to change that as I want to be a good role model for my children, lose weight so I can stay around for as long as possible and watch them grow up. So how do I weave adventure into my everyday life? I walk to work listening to the sounds of nature but it's not enough. I turned my desk to face the window so I can watch the sky and the trees whilst I write reports. But it's still not enough so I am going to commit to getting out on my bike everyday for the next month and then see where that takes me. It may just be a ten minute ride round the block or maybe a longer ride to the seafront. I'm hoping I can take my little ones with me on some of the rides so we can spend some quality time together rather than me just coming home and putting them to bed."

A doorstep mile for me is to eat healthy, exercise more and lose my extra pounds. Once I am no longer overweight, it will be easier for me to get outdoors and do the things I enjoy. I will have more energy. My wife and I desire to do this together as we look forward to starting a family in the near future. I want to be around for my future kids and live an active lifestyle like we were created for. My bike sits neglected at times and I need to get in control of my body, my health and my mind. I think that is what I need to focus on. That, as well as writing a book. I need to do a brain dump. I have my rugged journals from my trips but I wish to turn them either into one book or many books. I want to write down my experiences and dates from growing up to possibly write a memoir for my kids. My head is full of stuff that needs to be brought out and my body is full of stuff that needs to be weeded out...Let's do this!

40. ---* What is your Doorstep Mile action?

I want more challenge in my life. Challenges keep me going. It is what spawns growth. It is what stretches me like gumby. I have a list of challenges, local and otherwise that I wish to accomplish. I think a good doorstep mile would be to write them on the calendar. Pick a date to strive for and then train, ride, walk, write, read, exercise the mind and work towards endurance. I can do it. We can do it. You Can do it. We've got this. I want to be proud of myself, my body, my spirit, who I have become and will become as a husband, a man of God, a disciple. Every body matters and I want to show that mine is not useless, but useful and vital to utmost degree. Let us open the door and step out...

What's your doorstep mile? What are you striving towards? Open the door and step out...

"I have decided to challenge myself to walk every street in my city (about 3000 streets). Every day I try to walk a minimum of one new road. 98.5% still to go. But it has opened my eyes to the place I live."

"We are heading in different directions to the same place, lol. That's possible right? Haha!

"I'm trying to get off the page and into action. To begin living after an empty nest."

"I find it difficult to put aside the fears and focus on the benefits and excitement of an adventure, however big or small."

"I would like to like myself, to be proud of myself once more when I walk out the door."

---* When will you have done it by?

Living Adventurously - parts 21 - 30

OVER TO YOU

21.  How do you define 'failure?'

"Why do I want to live more adventurously? Because I'm tired of being scared… I found myself sinking further into the doldrums. I want to feel strong, I want to love my body for what it can do, not how it looks. I want to be a role model for my kids. I want to feel the fear and do it anyway… not just read the book.

 So that's my why. Basically I want to be the fittest and bravest I've ever been when I hit my 50th birthday..."

"Fitness and fear are the biggest obstacles. They are kind of intertwined. Listening to records in front of the fire with a glass of wine is so easy but does nothing for my fitness. And the more I do it the less likely I am to consider anything challenging. Get my fitness back on track and hopefully the fear dissipates a little. As my courage grows, so does my acceptance of greater challenge and so on."

Failure to me isn't exactly failure. And this is what I mean by that: Failure is a state-of-mind. You only fail at something if you tell yourself you failed, if you think or believe you have failed. It begins in the mind. Conquer the mind and you're well on your way to success. What is failure? Failure is internal. It comes from within. No one else can tell you that you failed. When someone else tells you that you are a failure, they only say it to make them feel better. What is their motivation for demeaning you, bringing you down? Failing once isn't failure. It is only part of the process. When you set yourself a goal or a deadline and do not meet it, don't beat yourself up. Pick yourself up off the ground, brush yourself off and try again. If you call yourself a failure, then it is something you believe. Be positive. Be active. Be useful. Get out there and crush it!

Is this definition sufficient cause to not attempt something bold?

"I have followed your microadventures with great excitement. Yet somehow I have avoided and procrastinated about actually planning something and doing it. I know I'm happy when I do such things and I am often extremely unhappy in my city existence but yet something gets in my way. I don't commit. I'd love to understand better why I do this to myself and how I can train my way out of it because it is crushing my existence. I am an adventurous person in nature but it has been crushed by something - maybe the apparent complexity of adult life!"

If you set out to climb Everest and tell yourself that anything short of the summit will be a failure, then you have essentially set yourself up for that failure. That's too much pressure for anyone. But if you set out to climb Everest and want to have an adventure and go beyond your means, chances are you will do it and have a blast and be a success. All that to say, I don't mean don't shoot for the stars. Of course you should attempt something beyond your seemingly capabilities because if you know you will succeed, it's too easy! Shoot for the stars, if you land on the moon, then that's awesome! Attempt something bold and share your experience...

22.  What are your symptoms of flabbiness that are an early warning of a deeper malaise?

---*Physical Flabbiness.

---*Mental Flabbiness.

---*Moral Flabbiness.

"I have a wonderful young family. I also have a small business, so those keep me busy much of the time. While those things are tremendous blessings in my life and bring me great fulfillment, I've found myself in a bit of a rut."

"Our comfort zones shrink as we become older: no longer constantly meeting new people, experiencing new things, going to new places like we did as children. To at least keep our comfort zones the same size we need to push the boundaries, doing things we didn't think we could do. From there is there any limit to what we can achieve?"

Comfort zones are interesting things. There's a lot of talk about comfort zones. Essentially they're invisible. Everyone's zones are different. Where do they come from? Within. They are ours. We own them. Therefore, we can push out those boundaries. They are created from what we are comfortable with and not comfortable with. We are not called to be comfortable in this life. Many people live life comfortable. They never reach out or step out of their comfort zone. I am not saying it is inherently wrong to be comfortable. That is important within reason. What I am saying is we can't stay there forever. We have to step out and stretch ourselves. That is how we grow. How can we grow or help others grow inside the circle? Something needs to change. The flabbiness of my body and mind has grown. I know I ought to improve and strengthen and get things done.

"This has reawakened the urge to push out of my comfort zone and just get on and do stuff with-out all the overthinking."

23.  What current behaviour or belief would a younger version of yourself view with astonishment or disgust?

We can choose not to be boring, can't we?

At times I think I worry about that I'm not accomplishing as much as I want or should. I think I put too much pressure on myself when I think in terms of goals and to-do lists. I am a planner and list maker pride myself in being goal-oriented. However, I think I may have lost some of the "why" in what I do. Why have I been with my current job for nearly 9 years? What am I passionate about? What are my goals and how am I working towards them? I want to be crazy again and not fall into complacency. Simple things over the years do tend to slip away with age and we forget what we once loved.

"I sometimes find myself awfully serious, always worrying about 'serious' business in the daily rat race. I feel like I have lost some spontaneity and craziness."

"I find it hard to find the drive (as much as the opportunity) in myself. I see it in my friends too. Simple things that we love(d) slip away too easily. The empty spaces start to echo somewhat. I'm a lazy sod, give or take, basically."

"I dreamed of being 'Steve Irwin' when I was younger and wanted to travel the world and see animals. I got persuaded against this as an unrealistic option. I ended up doing engineering at university and got a job in a windowless lab in Slough... Something has gone terribly wrong."

24.  Make two lists, side-by-side.

---* A list of the things you dream of doing.

---* A list of all that is holding you back.

"How can you be a good partner/parent and invest enough time in your family if you're buggering off having adventures? The kids have to be at school, the dad works, then there's the weekend sports etc, so that leaves the holidays, in the hope that the kids want to come too/your adventure is suitable for kids."

"Most of my adventure travel has happened from my forties onward. I guess a change of mindset from 'I'll do it when I retire' to 'I need to do it now, as who knows what's round the corner,' is my middle-aged mantra.

"It was compounded further with a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. I'm glad that I already had that way of thinking as it just makes me more determined to 'get out there' and not waste time. Adventure doesn't have to be jetting off to foreign climes every other month. So much can be found by jumping on a bike and heading out."

"I have settled into a middle-aged rut and want to escape from it."

Oh geez. As a list maker, you better believe that I have lists of things I dream of doing. What's holding me back? What's keeping me from turning these dreams into a reality? For one, I got married last year. But that is not quite fair because my wife is one of my biggest dreams. She's amazing and I couldn't ask for a better partner in adventure. With that comes a shift in priorities. Many of my dreams will include her now. She has dreams of her own which I will be included in because we are one. I am no longer me, but a we which adds another dynamic to dreams. I have adventure dreams, travel dreams, writing dreams, career dreams....more than one life is capable of, but alas, I am a dreamer and find joy in goal-making and creating. I am a Christ-follower and I have to remind myself that it is He who must guide these dreams and goals.

What are you going to do about these lists?

"I love learning and for me there is no better way than to learn through real-life experiences. When the time comes I also want to inspire my children with stories and experiences and encourage them to be a little wild."

I believe doing far outweighs being when it comes to learning. There are far too many schools and far too few travelers and life-long learners. Travel is learning and schooling makes you numb. That is to say, school is well for children, but as one ages, I believe life is to be lived out there and not in a classroom. Let the world be your classroom. Learn on the road. Read "Education of a Wandering Man" by Louis L'Amour. One of the best books I've read in recent memory.

"My wife's rolling eyes: he's got yet another hobby."

25.  ---* Write on a piece of paper,

' I have a choice to do________ Or remain doing_________.'

---* Now toss a coin and let the universe decide.

"I thought I would let you know what has held me back in adventures through my life and that is family. When younger I was aware of parents and health issues, and if not for that I may have considered emigrating to Australia. Then children came along. I remember having to turn back from the mountains because a 2-year-old wanted to play in a stream.

"So I have never been able to fit in really big adventures. My career and family wouldn't have fitted around it, but I don't regret it, or feel I have missed out.

"Now I do have more time and the adventures continue."

"I need to try and hold on to my youth. If you don't use it, you lose it. Or maybe my hope is to experience life in a way that I missed in my youth."

I haven't ever bought into the whole "let the universe decide" thing. That's rubbish. I know in a sense it's just a saying, but it's chance. Chance can be something special though. I have a choice to do this or do that. What do I do? It's like throwing darts at a map. Where should I go? That can be a little scary if you're serious enough to do it. Flip a coin at a crossroads and see where chance will take you. That is a great idea for a microadventure! Time and money and family are 3 big obstacles to big adventures. But I believe time and money aren't really obstacles because if you want to go, those won't stand in your way. Family on the other hand is an adventure itself and they are your people, your tribe. Priorities change. If a large expedition isn't feasible at the current time, be creative and do local adventures and bring your family along if they are able. I think it is vital to find that child-like fun and hope and dream and be carefree and frolic through the fields like you did in your youth! Feel alive. At the end of my life I want to feel worn out and exhausted rather than intact!

26.   List 5 things that you can't do. Now try re-writing them with an 'I choose not to...' slant instead.

 How do they sound now? Unfair? Wrong? Or a little too close to the bone?

"My instant response is that some of the things I want to do are bound by financial constraints. However, reflecting on this, I realize this is yet another excuse. If I wanted to do them NOW, I would find the money. Therefore I'm instantly getting in the way of my own adventures again!"

"I am a dreamer at heart. I dream big, and over the years I have managed to take some of those dreams to fruition. But now I'm well and truly stuck in my rut, full of excuses why I can't do what I want to. Reading that you have turned up to a meeting with 'we hair and going commando' following a spontaneous river swim has sparked something in me. I'm thinking, 'I would love to do that. No, actually, I absolutely could do that."

On many of my solo bike adventures, I have met people who told me they wished they could do what I do. They were either too old, too young, too busy, etc. Something, life circumstances, got in the way. I have no doubt that any and all of these people can do exactly what I have done. The only difference is they have chosen not to...without even thinking about or trying it. The human body is extraordinary! We have limits, but not the limits we think. I think we draw ourselves our own limits. Our limits may be far out there, but we convince ourselves they are much closer and therefore we don't believe in ourselves and fall short of doing anything extraordinary. Hence we live ordinary lives and make excuses for anything that seems to extreme for us. Well, that's good for them, but I am much too comfortable over here. We choose not to get out of the boat for fear of failure or fear of drowning. What if we fall? Ah, but what if we fly? Reach of the stars, and you may just end up on the moon! You may surprise yourself!

27. ---* Can you remember an occasion when you felt Impostor Syndrome? What happened, how did it feel, and how did you resolve it?

---* Do you ever think 'people like me can't do that'?

---* What is an example? Is it true? Is it an excuse? Is it surmountable?

---* If it is not, what new direction will you choose to try?

"I could decide to start listening to what I want to do and look at tangible ways of doing it, rather than dismissing most of it because of 'real life.'"

Amen. Imposter syndrome is real. We live our lives the way we think they ought to be lived or how we've always known. Some of this I am also telling myself. "People like me can't do that!" I've heard those words. I've even said those words. But the good news is, yes we can. What would happen if we started saying 'yes' more. There's an online community called "The Yes Tribe" dedicated to getting people to say yes more and to get out of their comfort zones. Most people never regret saying yes. But many regret never saying yes. Let's say yes. Let's get out and see what happens? Will we fall and get back up or will we discover something new? We will never know what we can do until we try. But alas, not only try, but do. Let us do something, anything. What have you been creating lately? How can we be more productive and manage our time more? Try something new, try something different, try something sacred. Dare I say it? Try something scary...

28.  Which party do you want an invitation to?

"I've never been particularly interested in having children but that's not something you say out loud because that's what I should be doing, right? And at my age, time is running out so I should probably crack on. Apparently 'it's different when it's your kids' but that seems like a massive bloody gamble to me, so living adventurously seems like an interesting alternative."

"When our landlord didn't want to renew our lease and we had no housing options available, I chose to take my two kids on a seven week trip through Southeast Asia before coming home to figure it out. Against the advice of EVERY person in our family and a good number of our friends. We returned with $23 in my bank account and zero regrets. Seven countries and millions of memories made. I sobbed on the plane home because I didn't want to come back.

"We returned. And I bought a little house at the uncomfortable end of my budget because I bent to family pressure. And while it's lovely and has big windows and even a bit of woods behind us, I feel SO TRAPPED and I hate it."

Trapped is never a good feeling. I hate accumulating possessions. But I am as guilty as anyone else. It's difficult to convince everyone, including me to purge and live more of a minimalist lifestyle, even though we may know that is what is best and that is what may be needed in our lives. I have always said I think it is better to collect experiences rather than things. Memories over stuff. Society says one thing and that thing is usually not even logical. Society says do this. This is how you should live. Pursue the American Dream. I like to call it the American Nightmare. It leaves no room for growth. It leaves no room for adventure in the wildest sense. That, to me feels like being trapped, a cage. Unless you expand that cage, but then...it's still a cage. Never again. I think in this life our world pushes us too far, there's too much pressure to be happy. That seems like the ultimate goal, but alas, it is not all about being happy. It is not about our own happiness. The secular world pushes us to be mindful, do yoga, breathe and meditate. I have joy. My joy comes from the Lord but often I am not happy. They are not one in the same. Joy should never leave us. Happiness is more of a fleeting emotion. It's okay not be happy, but ask yourself, where do you find your joy? Where does your joy come from? And magnify that!

29. 

 ---* What is on enormous, audacious idea you dream about?

---* What Doorstep Mile action can you take, right now, that will get you started? Write it down. Even better, make it public: put it on social media with #TheDoorstepMile hashtag, stick a note on the fridge, CC  everyone in an email.  Appoint a commitment referee to harass you into action.

"I'm going to ask for at least five days' unpaid holiday this year to take some time out alone to contemplate my life."

"Actively looking for a job that leaves me with more energy at the end of the day to do things I want to do, including on weekends and holidays."

---* When will you have done it by? 

Any later than this weekend counts as wimpish procrastination! Most questions in this book encourage thought. This one demands action.

"Stop - Do Something!"

Yes, baby steps. Often times we don't do things unless we have the time, the money, the body, the means...to do the big thing. But what we forget is that we don't have to do that big thing right now. It can wait. It will always be there. We can lead up to it. Work up to it. What small thing can I do now to work towards that lofty goal? I want to write a book. I am reading more and learning every day what my book will entail and figure out more how to go about writing my book. I have other goals, bicycle, walking goals, a little bit of that everyday goes a long way. The key is to stop what we are doing if it is hindering our growth and progress and then go and do something! It's a struggle and it is something I keep telling myself.

30.  What is the hardest thing you have ever begun? Reflecting back, how does it make you feel?

"My Doorstep Mile? Borrowing some maps from the library."

"I opened up the local paper and saw a new bike trail opening up, and that was it: I was hooked on the idea. So I made a decision that meant there was little chance of turning back. I booked a train ticket to the start of the trail. I had three weeks to prepare my arse for the saddle shock, and I was away."

"Barriers? Asking for time for myself. Guilt and selfishness. Expecting my wife to parent alone for a time whilst I go off."

"I can help myself by meeting new people, learning new skills, volunteering and saying 'yes' to things I never thought I would do."

The hardest thing? That's hard to say. What comes to mind is cycling 116 miles in Eastern Oregon from sunup to sundown from rest area to rest area in the heat of the summer. That is among the hardest things I have done, but it is also one of the most rewarding things I have done. It was the tail-end of a 3,000 mile bike adventure and my butt was hurting. I don't like to shy away from a good challenge. When asked why I enjoy cycling so many miles, I have often said that I enjoy the challenge and the accomplishment. From my hometown I have cycled under my own power to places like Yellowstone, Glacier, Zion, Monument Valley, Lake Tahoe, Olympic, San Diego, Canada, and more. It has been over two years since my Canadian adventure and whereas I have many more bike adventures I want to do (Atlantic Coast, All Around Oregon, Around the Great Lakes, Sierra Nevadas, Mid-west/Deep South, Coast-to-Coast, Alaska, etc.), recently I have begun to think more local. Challenging adventures, whether small or big are never far from my mind. Here are a few challenges I have thought of doing:

1. Bicycle the Oregon Coast in 3 days

2. Bike for 24 hours straight / Ride a Double Century

3. Visit & Photograph all 11 of the Oregon Coast's Lighthouses

4. Visit all of Oregon's State Parks

5. Visit & Photograph all of Oregon's Waterfalls

6. Visit all of Oregon's Covered Bridges

7. Photograph my map collection and make a project

8. Cycle to every place I have lived in my hometown, connecting the dots

9. Cycle to & photograph #EveryPark again in my hometown and do a more intentional project

10. Write a book about my adventures

11. Create a website about my adventures and begin thinking about our business/adventure ministry start-up!

What shall my doorstep mile be for any of these?

Living Adventurously - parts 11 - 20

OVER TO YOU 

11.  What should you work on more slowly than your impatient side wants you to?

"Pushing out of my comfortable existence and pursuing variety...focusing more on progression and less on perfection."

"Focus on the small steps, not the big goals. Microadventures really resonate with me and I try to incorporate small ones into my life reasonably regularly. I'd just like to do more as I know they make me feel better and happier. So for me it's about how to increase the frequency and quality of the microadventures. I don't feel the need to escape and do something bigger. Life is pretty good now."

Yes, microadventures! I would like to incorporate more of them in my daily life to spice things up, to get me out there living and exploring. It's not always easy pushing out of one's comfortable existence, but I do love variety and ought to focus on progression and less on perfection which is hard for me because in part, I am a perfectionist. I like things to be perfect, for things to go my way. I am a planner, but also understand that plans fall through and are frequently changed. Microadventures are as diverse as people and the ideas are endless. It's all a matter of generating those ideas...

12.  Complete this chart…

What would I do if I was...a millionaire? I've thought about this and honestly I would most likely travel while still living well below my means. I would not purchase expensive cars or houses. I would live modestly and head out on adventures around the nation and globe. A step I can make in this direction is to find a second (maybe passive) income and research how to turn my passion/business idea into reality. I can start by conducting local adventures, basically traveling around my home. And of course I would love to give generously...and start my adventure ministry.

What would I do if I was...given a year off? Probably work on myself and of course travel and go places I have never been before. I would be tempted to cram as much into that year as possible.

What would I do if I was...a bunch of years younger? This is a tricky one. If I was younger, I probably wouldn't change much.

What would I do if I was...free of all ties? Explore - explore - explore - travel and see and experience!

What would I do if I was...sure nobody would find out? Hmm...wouldn't you like to know!

What would I do if I was...on a mission for a greater obituary? What legacy do I want to leave? Seek after the Lord day-by-day. Live and work as though I am living for the Lord, not for men.

13.  Why do you want to live more adventurously?

"...I knew something was wrong. I'd done everything I was told, bu something was missing. Slowly, I began to examine my life, searching for the last time I felt complete, or fulfilled. While there was no single shiny, resounding answer, I could feel a gentle pull...a pull to the wild, where nothing was grey or bathed in fluorescent light, there were no phone calls to return or back-breaking labour to make someone else rich. But what could I do? I had bills to pay and a family to look after: I couldn't just take off on an adventure and let their lives crumble. I was stuck. Stuck and miserable."

I am not miserable, but I do understand the sentiment of being stuck. I think we often use that as an excuse. We are stuck. We feel stuck so we stay stuck. We don't even try to get out of the pit. We're stuck so we just accept the fact that this is the way life ought to be. But the truth is it is not. There's something more. There's always a pull to something greater. I have felt a pull to the wild, a pull to adventure. A call...the wild is calling, the mountains are calling...will we answer the call? Or just go about the hum-drum of every day life? Let's make our lives more adventurous!

How are you going to live more adventurously?

"It was at this time, out of sheer coincidence, I stumbled across your idea of microadventures. I don't remember how or where I first saw it but I can tell you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, microadventures saved my life."

I can see how microadventures can change one's life. I have come across them myself and they do provide a sense of adventure, an itch to scratch without embarking on a grand adventure far from home. Sleep on a hill, swim in a river, visit a place you've never visited before...

What are you going to begin? (It would be great if you had an actual concrete idea that you'd like to make happen in the coming pages...)

I have 20 more states to visit and the ones I have visited I would like to go back to with my wife. I would love to cycle to each one, but if that cannot happen alone or with someone else, then I must come to terms with settling for road trips or other forms of adventure which are great, just a different form of great. I would also love to journey to each national park in our country.

14.  What practical barriers stand in your way?

"The barriers are work obligations. Age. Failing joints. House repairs. But if I'm frank, the biggest challenge I face is the willingness to take risks for the things I want."

Exactly--work obligations, age, health, family commitments. Those are all excuses and barriers. But excuses aren't always barriers. It is true that the truth of the barriers or challenge if you will is the willingness to take the risks in the first place. But I've always said that risk is an essential element to adventure so we can't shy away from risk and danger. But that's it, isn't it? We are scared or unwilling to go.

What mental barriers have you built up?

"I find it daunting to get the right kit for not being cold and miserable without having to do too much research."

The willingness to take risks is also mental. I believe mental barriers far out-weigh the physical. Living more adventurously requires thought...it's a mental game. Our minds play tricks on us. Sometimes our minds are our own worst enemies. If we don't tame our mind, then it may run rampant and we tell ourselves no rather than yes. I believe I have built up some barriers in my mind such as oh my family won't want to do this or won't allow me to. What if...what if...How can I get to the starting line?

What concerns can be shunted further down-the-line?

The more concerns or worries we can slay now, the easier it may get further down...Most concerns aren't really concerns deep down...

Think of the most significant thing blocking you from living adventurously.

** Now ask these questions, known as the Dickens Process:

-- What has that barrier cost you in your life so far?

-- What is that barrier costing you right now?

-- What will that barrier cost you 10 years from now if it persists?

If I were to ask myself honestly what is blocking me from living adventurously, I suppose nothing is. I think for me it is a matter of doing and escaping...and maybe a little convincing others to join in...

Identifying what the barriers are is the first step in living more adventurously in this life after all...

15. 

Mark up this table with how you use the 168 hours in a typical week. Each square represents one hour. Things to add might include work, sleep, travel, exercise, learning, chores, childcare, hobbies and weekend loafing.

Exactly...what fills up my time in a typical week? Work, sleep, commuting to and from work, exercise in the form of bicycling and walking and basketball, learning day-to-day, chores, tidying up, cleaning, hobbies, reading, writing, TV & movies, laundry, shopping, dreaming, wondering, devotions, attending Church, praying, tithing, planning, family gatherings...and of course weekend loafing...

What did you learn from this?

I suppose there is a bunch of things that need to be done and others that we waste our time on.

16.  When did you last climb a tree?

I often forget about climbing trees. Maybe it's because I like the ground. But seriously, I didn't climb one tree on my journey to cycle to every park in my hometown. The last time I climbed a tree was probably when I was a kid...or maybe in my 20s.

 Do a brain dump of everything in your head, from your life goals to the weekly To-Do list. It will help clarify what you should prioritize and what's best to delegate or delete:

Hmm...what's in my head? Right now, Winnie the Pooh while I babysit my friend's little girl. The dishes, laundry, climbing a tree, the weather, cleaning my bicycle, door dashing, the virus, protests, food, drink, travel, visiting all 50 states of the union, reading all my books, walking in the woods, living more adventurously, loving my wife, our upcoming anniversary, camping at Jack Creek, family dynamics, personality tests, the state of our union, priorities and love, Church and Jesus Christ, devotions, growth and mentalities...what's urgent and what's important?

17.  What can you say 'no' to that will free up time and energy for you to live more adventurously?

Well the one thing that comes to mind is saying 'no' more to TV. I tend to watch way too much. But after a long day, it is always nice to unwind and escape into another world. Whereas that may be true, isn't that just another excuse? A 'no, but...?" I suppose. At times it is often background noise while I write, like right now actually, or as I do chores or plan or read or simply think...

18. 

 How can you spend less or earn more?

"It doesn't have to cost huge amounts of money, and you can always start saving. We were shocked by how much we spent on coffee and travel. So we bought a thermos and now bike to work."

For many years I have biked or walked to work. It provides exercise and saves on gas money. It also reduces stress an wakes me up. I could never figure out a downside to bicycle commuting. There are a lot of free or cheap alternatives to expensive stuff out there.

"Deciding to take five months off work with my wife to cycle through Africa. All the concerns you mention, particularly a mortgage and career progression, almost held us back. If anything though, the trip helped my career as it marked me out and gave me a better perspective. We've since repeated the trick through Central America."

This is brilliant. After all, we only live once on this earth. Pack up and travel while you still can. The logistics are what gets in the way and makes things troubling. Also convincing your family it is a good idea. Often bad ideas at the time later become good when the mind is altered. It's all about perspective.

 How can you get more time in your life?

"I could free up more time by becoming more focused on work stuff (and getting off Facebook!), getting my work tasks done sooner and leaving more time open to make different, more adventurous choices with my waking hours."

I could definitely free up some time by avoiding TV and social media to focus on writing or planning my business or side hustle. It's funny though. The busyness epidemic. We use that as an excuse. Everyone has the same amount of time. It's all a matter of what we use that time for!

"I could quit my job and move to the country, or start an outdoor/activity centre or pack up my family and travel."

That is what I would love. It's the practical and logical sides that bother me...

"Large scale - probably impossible; small scale - definitely possible."

19.  

What inner fears are inhibiting you from living adventurously?

"Fear. I am mostly afraid to change. You have it right. Comfortable is easy. Uncomfortable is hard."

Hard is where adventure lies though. If it were always easy, no one...or everyone would do it! Type two fun isn't always pleasant at the time. If it is pleasant, then it is more of a vacation rather than an adventure.

"I've found out that it is a little bit scarier to write down the answers to your questions instead of just thinking about them..."

That's the key. Write it down and it will most likely happen. Don't write it down and you can forget about it. It's scary, but it's worth it!

"Most of the great memories I have are things I did when I was terrified of doing them."

Which practical problems are actually covers for more deep-seated vulnerabilities?

Husband asking what/why are you doing that? Feeling guilty for staying out overnight on my own when I could be doing something together as a family or going away in the caravan etc. Work pressures - being tired afterwards!

In a way, adventure can become selfish. That is something I have struggled with in the past. Priorities change over time. Adventure should never disappear, but sometimes it takes differing forms through each stage of life.

20.  If you had no fear and you knew that you wouldn't fail, what would you do?

"I just need to push myself to do more of these things despite a desire to take the easy (wasteful, boring) life and do less."

"My science teacher once told my class, 'you guys are so scared to make mistakes that you aren't even trying!' And he was right! Sometimes, when I'm trying to handle a tough situation but not making any progress, I remember that incident. It encourages me to move forward with SOMETHING and just see what works!"

Should we try something if we know we won't succeed? I've always loved the quote, "If you know you will succeed, it's too easy." That's so true. When I was planning my bike adventures, I didn't know I was going to succeed. They were all adventures and adventures include risk, challenge and a huge dose of grandeur. If there's not a chance of danger and unknown, there is no adventure. This is one definition, one that I have adopted. If you know you will succeed, it's too easy. Adventure is hard and many stop before they even begin. They don't get past the starting line because fear drives them. Fear of the unknown. Fear of 'what ifs.' If we just begin and escape into the woods, if we make that leap, we will be pleasantly surprised and come back rejuvenated and it will stretch us and grow us!

 When would you begin that thing?