Get serious about being curious.
Think for a moment about the community where you live. If you've been in any one place for a long time, you've likely settled into routines that define where and how you exist in those community spaces. For me, Lakeville (Minnesota) has been home for the past 20 years. Over that time, I have walked and biked the same paths around my house more times than I can count. They are familiar to me, convenient, and if I'm honest, they've become a bit boring.
Seeking out adventure is one of my top five values, and because I can't get back in an RV and hit the road for a year like we did in 2021 (not just yet, anyway), I've decided to become an adventurer in my own city.
There's a term for this: microadventure. It's exactly what it sounds like: a short, simple, cheap, local version of an adventure. Lakeville boasts 130 miles of paved walking and biking trails that provide connections between an abundance of parks, lakes, and a vibrant downtown community. I've unnecessarily confined myself to the same 5-10 miles of trails for the past couple of decades, so I've decided to go microadventuring in an attempt to cure my wanderlust.
Bit by bit, my furry four-legged friend and I are marking off sections of the trails throughout the city. The multiple pathways that I've discovered that I never knew existed have been nothing short of amazing. Smack dab in the middle of suburbia, I've found trail systems and wooded parks filled with wildlife and beauty that have been within reach all these years. Why am I just discovering these now?
I don't think I was curious enough. Even though these paths were freely available to me for years, I stayed stuck in my comfortable routine until it was no longer comfortable.
"The more curious you are, the more you start to see."
- Alastair Humphreys
Where do you need to get curious? Is there any area of your life that has become boring, lackluster, or even frustrating? Perhaps it's something basic like a workout routine or what you make for dinner each week. Maybe it's around a more serious topic such as the way you interact with a family member, or a challenging situation at work. Are there other pathways you can explore that might bust you out of a routine or help you shake off certain behaviors that are no longer serving you? What might be hiding from you in plain sight that you have yet to discover?
So far, we've covered just over 43 miles of trails so we still have a ways to go with our microadventures. If you’re in the area and you ever care to join me to discuss where you need to get more curious, please reach out or schedule a call to connect.