3188: On The Importance of Trying New Things by Helene Massicotte of Free To Pursue on Self Improvement

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[00:00:54] This is Optimal Living Daily Episode 3188, On the Importance of Trying New Things, by

[00:01:00] Elen Massikot of freetopersoo.com.

[00:01:03] And I'm just a Malaga-very own personal narrator.

[00:01:05] I read the best blogs that I can get permission from to you, covering productivity, minimalism,

[00:01:11] personal development, all that fun stuff.

[00:01:13] And with that, let's get right to another post and start optimizing your life.

[00:01:21] On the Importance of Trying New Things, by Elen Massikot of freetopersoo.com.

[00:01:28] How often do you try something new?

[00:01:31] Every year?

[00:01:32] Every month?

[00:01:33] Every week?

[00:01:34] Likely, the answer is not often.

[00:01:37] I don't know about you, but I feel like standing still makes my brain rot.

[00:01:41] Period.

[00:01:42] Keeping abilities, experiences, likes and dislikes, views and beliefs constant stunts

[00:01:48] our growth as individuals.

[00:01:50] The familiar becomes too comfortable and starts feeling like it is the only way life

[00:01:55] can be.

[00:01:56] Just give a thought to who you admire most, the people you find interesting, intelligent

[00:02:01] and insightful.

[00:02:02] I guarantee they do not follow a predictable routine in thought and action, and if they

[00:02:07] do currently, it's not likely to be for long.

[00:02:10] In my experience, the benefits of continuously increasing my willingness to try new things

[00:02:15] are numerous.

[00:02:17] With every new opportunity, I may find I like things I never thought I would, develop new

[00:02:22] friendships that can introduce me to even more new and exciting things, adopt a new

[00:02:26] hobby or practice that helps me develop additional skills and abilities, identify other less

[00:02:32] valuable activities or things that I choose to remove from my life, increase communication

[00:02:37] with others by way of wanting to learn and share my discoveries, seek out the thrill

[00:02:42] of discovery more often over time because there is very little downside, and turn one

[00:02:48] or more of these things or experiences into a part-time or full-time occupation which

[00:02:53] would never have happened had I not ventured and tried it.

[00:02:57] And best of all, my comfort zone is forever expanded because once I have tried something,

[00:03:02] it's part of my frame of reference forever.

[00:03:05] I believe it works in a similar fashion for many of us.

[00:03:09] For example, once an individual has tried a sport, he or she opens him or herself up

[00:03:14] to considering other similar sports, be it as a spectator, participant, or other.

[00:03:20] Because of this multiplier effect, the expansion of an individual's comfort zone over time

[00:03:25] is exponential, not linear.

[00:03:28] How cool and exciting is that?

[00:03:30] As you can tell, I am a huge advocate of trying new things, and I find it sad when I hear people

[00:03:35] will not wander away from the familiar.

[00:03:37] I've heard more than once that venturing out and trying something new makes someone

[00:03:41] uncomfortable.

[00:03:42] Well, all the more reason to do it!

[00:03:45] Over time, even the unknown becomes comfortable.

[00:03:49] Here are a few personal experiences to bring the point home.

[00:03:52] At home, foreign foods galore.

[00:03:55] When I was a kid, my mom and dad made me try all sorts of foods and beverages that were

[00:03:59] not the usual fare for a Canadian family.

[00:04:02] I had mangoes, sugar cane, kiwi, fresh coconut, various shellfish, prickly pear, dragonfruit,

[00:04:10] various types of wild game, and practically anything else that flies, runs, or swims.

[00:04:15] As a result, I'm an adventurous eater to this day.

[00:04:19] I don't think twice about trying different things when I travel, such as eel and jellyfish

[00:04:24] in China, monkey brain in Mexico, yes you heard that correctly, raw squid in Japan,

[00:04:30] carpaccio in Italy, and alligator in the USA.

[00:04:33] Unfortunately, when I've traveled in groups, my experience is that folks will seek out

[00:04:38] the familiar and never really try the best of what the local culture has to offer.

[00:04:43] Food and culture are tightly linked, and to me, the individuals who sought out the KFC,

[00:04:49] Pizza Hut, and McDonald's were in a bubble and were sheltering themselves from a truly

[00:04:53] memorable, multi-sensory cultural experience.

[00:04:58] At work, varied life experiences can make you a better performer.

[00:05:02] The most interesting and dynamic individuals I have ever interacted with at any job I have

[00:05:07] held were always those who had tried and done a lot, both personally and professionally.

[00:05:13] They were not interesting because they shared their stories, though I did pry when I figured

[00:05:17] they likely had some interesting stories to tell.

[00:05:20] They were interesting and dynamic because their interest in trying new things also made them

[00:05:24] open to trying things at work and more positive about the unknowns involved in getting a

[00:05:29] new project off the ground.

[00:05:31] Yes, those are the individuals I would seek out to help with projects that involved many

[00:05:35] unknowns.

[00:05:36] It did not scare them, and that helped us move forward more quickly.

[00:05:41] One such individual I found out later not only worked as a manager in a technology company,

[00:05:46] but he also worked in the entertainment industry as a side gig and hobby.

[00:05:50] As a result of his interest in technology and entertainment, he developed an interesting

[00:05:54] application associated with the popular international sport.

[00:05:58] Talk about different interests coming together and enabling someone to create something unique.

[00:06:03] How to be more adventurous.

[00:06:06] Unfortunately, stores and various service providers reward us for being repeat customers,

[00:06:11] be it for clothing, groceries, restaurants, hotels, cruise lines, magazines, store credit

[00:06:18] cards.

[00:06:19] Loyalty programs are the antithesis of feeding our curiosity for the new and different.

[00:06:25] In order to avoid getting into a rut, here are a few guidelines to consider adopting to

[00:06:29] start adding more new experiences to your life.

[00:06:34] Number one, when you choose to travel, always travel to new places, preferably avoiding

[00:06:39] a previously visited region if you can help it.

[00:06:42] And when you arrive at your destination, ask local residents what they do for fun or what

[00:06:47] they think would be worth seeing that is off the beaten path.

[00:06:51] Number two, try at least one new restaurant or food when you hear a good review about

[00:06:55] it.

[00:06:56] If you choose to eat out, ask the waiter what she or he would order if they were to make

[00:07:00] a selection and then stick to your guns and order it.

[00:07:04] Number three, when something is free to try and not via an infomercial you saw on TV at

[00:07:09] 3am, go ahead and try it.

[00:07:12] There's nothing to lose.

[00:07:13] This could be a food sample at the grocery store, a sample at a bakery or restaurant,

[00:07:17] a beauty product, a free for a limited time app or service.

[00:07:21] Set a reminder to unsubscribe so that you don't get dinged if you don't intend to

[00:07:25] keep it.

[00:07:26] Number four, try things that are the opposite of what you would normally do.

[00:07:31] If you usually turn left to go to work, turn right and take a slightly different way to

[00:07:36] work.

[00:07:37] If you usually peel your orange, cut it in wedges instead.

[00:07:41] You can't know what you like best unless you wander a little bit.

[00:07:45] Number five, when purchasing a personal or professional service, allow the service provider

[00:07:50] to do what they think would work best for you, like haircut, clothing, even suggestions

[00:07:55] for a financial plan.

[00:07:57] You might be surprised by the result.

[00:07:59] I am rarely disappointed when I leave it to a professional, preferably one who came recommended.

[00:08:05] Number six, volunteer somewhere that will have you doing something different, like packing

[00:08:10] hampers, cooking a meal, dog walking, construction or cleaning up a park.

[00:08:15] You might discover you like an activity you never would have tried otherwise.

[00:08:19] And number seven, check out your local community or cultural center, continuing education institutions

[00:08:25] or places of worship for activities that you might want to try or learn more about.

[00:08:30] Not only will trying new things increasingly often become more fun over time, you will amass

[00:08:35] experiences that are forever yours and you will only be better for it.

[00:08:40] It will also make you feel more empowered when taking on something new, whether someone

[00:08:44] asks you to join in or you are the one making the suggestion.

[00:08:48] So what are you waiting for?

[00:08:49] Go ahead and diversify and expand your experience portfolio.

[00:08:54] The returns will be well worth the investment and will make you a richer and more interesting

[00:08:58] person as a result, both to you and others.

[00:09:02] I'm excited for you!

[00:09:07] You just listened to the post titled, On the Importance of Trying New Things by Hélène

[00:09:12] Massicotte of freetopersoo.com and I'll be right back with my commentary.

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[00:09:46] This episode is supported by FX's Clipped, the scandalous story of the 2014 Clippers

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[00:10:14] Thank you DLN.

[00:10:18] What I especially liked is that some of these suggestions aren't as quote unquote adventurous

[00:10:23] as what we think of when we hear adventurous.

[00:10:26] For example, when I hear that someone is adventurous, my mind automatically goes to scuba diving,

[00:10:33] rock climbing, hang gliding, stuff like that.

[00:10:36] All of which I've never done and likely never will because personally, the space those

[00:10:41] things put me in is not worth the reward.

[00:10:44] I've done paragliding and snorkeling so I have some idea and yes they were memorable,

[00:10:48] but I wouldn't feel like I missed out if I didn't or hadn't tried those things.

[00:10:53] Maybe you relate, maybe you don't, but my point is, if you're like me, you can be

[00:10:57] more adventurous at work if allowed.

[00:11:01] Maybe trying to see if there's a faster or better way to do something.

[00:11:05] He even mentioned bakeries, beauty supplies, cutting your orange into wedges instead of

[00:11:09] peeling, taking a different route to work or back from work.

[00:11:13] These things by the way, if I'm remembering my studies correctly, actually help strengthen

[00:11:18] the brain and from what I remember are linked to Alzheimer's prevention.

[00:11:23] Something as simple as taking a different walking or driving route than you usually

[00:11:26] do.

[00:11:27] Something so basic but powerful at the same time.

[00:11:31] And with volunteering, that's an amazing one because you're also helping someone else

[00:11:35] at the same time.

[00:11:37] So think about how you can add some variability or adventure in your life.

[00:11:41] Let me know what you come up with and I'll see you tomorrow where optimal life awaits.