It’s time to step out of your comfort zone and do something out of the ordinary.
What new thing will you do today? This week? This month? This year?
PLAYFULNESS + CURIOSITY Page 4 of 20
Be inspired to do something new today
Do you feel stuck, bored or frustrated? Are you searching for deeper meaning in life? Then perhaps it’s time you tried something new.
The truth is that it’s always within your reach to make new connections, learn new things and have new adventures. You may not be able to quit your job, or change the fact you have a long commute, but every day presents countless opportunities for you to decide how you want to handle these things, and every other part of your day, in order to make the most out of life.
Of course it’s easier to carry on doing things the same way you’ve been doing them for days, weeks, months, years, but taking a chance and doing something different can bring enormous benefits. Sometimes even the smallest shift in thinking or doing can create the biggest opportunity, paving the way for positive life changes and major fulfilment.
[Tweet “How will you push yourself out of your comfort zone today? What new thing, or things, will you try? “]
Download a high res version to print here.
We go places we’ve never been because we want to be surprised
This is a guest post by adventurer, author and motivational speaker Alastair Humphreys. Find out more about Alastair here.
There are many aspects to travel.
We go to places we’ve never been because we want to be surprised.
We want to see new sights and experience fresh things.
We seek out remote places to see what they might teach us – about the world and about ourselves.
Going somewhere you have never been means there are no familiar crutches to prop yourself up, no old memories to fall back on. Everything is new and different.
We need your vote! The Little Beach Hut of Dreams shortlisted for Beach Hut of the Year!
Yesterday we opened up The Sunday Times newspaper to discover that The Little Beach Hut of Dreams has been shortlisted for Beach Hut of the Year (cue squeals of excitement!)
This is particularly exciting for us, because it is a tiny creative project that we dreamed up in order to create space in a busy world, to honour the importance of carving out time to dream, and just be in the moment. But more importantly because it recognizes our idea to share this tiny space with the world through our Dreamers-in-Residence programme, which allows members of our community to borrow The Little Beach Hut of Dreams for free for the day in return for a blog post which will in turn inspire others.
Now the competition is on to find the winner – and there is a public vote so we would LOVE for you to support our project and vote for The Little Beach Hut of Dreams! It just takes a minute – CLICK HERE to vote.
By voting for The Little Beach Hut of Dreams you are showing your agreement that we all need time and space to dream, and encouraging others to use assets like this for wider community benefit, not just their own enjoyment.
Here are just a couple of examples of how The Little Beach Hut of Dreams is playing a part in other people’s dreams and plans:
SHABNAH: Shabnah used the time to think about a big adventure she was planning, and in doing so realised just how much power there is in pressing the pause button. Since her residency, Shabnah has travelled to Peru and Ecuador, before spending January in Colombia, which she tells us was 100% unplanned and 100% perfect. She wrote about her Dreamer-in-residence experience here.
In Shabnah’s words “Every time I catch sight of (a beach hut) I am taken to that silence within my previously overactive, second-guessing mind. When I applied (to be a Dreamer-in-Residence) I had been feeling lost and struggling with all decisions – I might make the wrong one, so best to make none. Being able to take a deep breath and return to how I felt that day makes it easier to listen to myself and make a decision that feels right in the moment, however small. Thank you Little Beach Hut built for dreaming for letting me clear enough of the chatter from my head for dreaming space.”
PETA: When Peta applied to be a Dreamer-in-Residence she was in need of a huge boost of inspiration. She had been working on an illustrated book for months, but needed space, and the view and calm to make real progress. She said that in her home office she was constantly distracted by emails and other work obligations. She also has a grand plan to live somewhere where she can plant fruit trees and keep bees, but is currently stuck somewhere with little nature nearby, so the day in the beach hut was a taste of being close to nature for her. She made great progress with her book during the day and we are waiting to hear when it comes out.
Our 2015 Dreamers-in-Residence are using The Little Beach Hut of Dreams this summer and we will share their stories soon.
If you like our idea and love our Little Beach Hut, please do take a moment to vote..
Huge thank you – this means a lot!
From all at Do What You Love
[All images: Holly Booth]
You are the master of your own destiny
Today’s post is written by our Senior Editor, Rachel Kempton.
My big dream, growing up, was to be a magazine journalist. When I was eight-years-old I had an article published in a national newspaper and that was it. I just knew that was what I wanted to do. But as I got older, a combination of bad careers advice and self-doubt led me down a different path and for years my dream was just that: a dream.
Passion + talent + attention to detail = a Global Art Gathering in Brighton
The Global Art Gathering 2015 is behind us, but the magic of the event lingers on. Rose Radtke takes a look back on why the event was special for her…
Usually, when I picture Brighton, I picture home. The familiarity of my little flat, a pebble beach remaining unchanged as the seasons come and go, the route I take to work and the shops and cafes I like to mooch around at the weekend. But now I look back on one week in June 2015, and I see Brighton differently. I see it through the eyes of a group of people who arrived in a sunny, quirky seaside town on the south coast of England, eagerly anticipating exploring a new place and meeting long-distance friends in person for the first time.
This group of people are special. Led by Lilla and her lovely team (including husband Andy, son Jacob and daughter Natasha), they radiated positivity from the moment they set foot on British soil. They saw Brighton sparkling in the sunlight, and sought out treasure in the little shops that line the North Laines. While we obsessed over whether the weather was on the turn, they obsessed over our British accents and reveled in our polite, gentle culture.
A whole week was festooned with new people, group shopping trips and VIP events, but the main Global Art Gathering event, held at the Brighton Dome, was undoubtedly where the real magic happened. With artists from the UK meeting those from as far afield as Australia and New Zealand in person for the very first time, you could feel it in the air from the moment we opened the doors.
As I watched so many women (and one man!) join forces, I was struck by how different this event was to any conference I’d been to before. Instead of suits people wore colour and big smiles, and instead of business cards they exchanged compliments. I suddenly understood the power of this community that exists in the most part online, but sets a room alight when they come together. Even though I’m not an artist, that week I felt like one. And seeing those women living their passion made me more determined than ever to seek out my own.
Some really hard work went in to making this event happen. That much you could tell from the careful details on each table, the surprise envelopes hidden under each chair and the stage set up as a cosy living room. The attention to detail combined with the talented speakers and the passion of the crowd made the event so worthwhile for all those who’d travelled from far and wide.
I’m sure the Global Art Gathering 2015 will stick in my mind for many years to come. And I hope I’ll continue to draw on the magic I became a part of. Next time I’m feeling a little deflated I’ll cast my mind back to that special day and remember that I have passion, talent and thoughtfulness somewhere deep inside me.
Where does your mind take you when you need a lift? Is there a person, or a tribe, that continues to inspire you even when you’re not together?
All images by Debbie Joliff
Learn a new language: 10 steps to success
There’s no doubt about it, it takes courage to step out of your comfort zone and learn a new language. Emotional ups and downs come with the territory and feelings of exhilaration are often followed by moments of frustration. But one thing is for sure, if you can stick with it you’ll be so proud of yourself — and who knows what doors your new-found skill might open.
Here are our top 10 tips for successful language learning…
1. Get comfortable with being a beginner. As adults we are often afraid of being beginners. We don’t like not having all the answers, looking silly, or messing up. When it comes to learning a language, admitting that you don’t know everything (and being okay with that) is the key to freedom, growth, and success. Let go of your grown-up inhibitions and remember, everyone is a beginner at some point: everyone starting a new job; every new parent; every brave person starting up a business; and everyone voted in as Prime Minister. So [Tweet “embrace new beginnings and enjoy the process of diving into a fresh new learning experience”] knowing that tomorrow you will know more than you do today.
2. Understand your motivation and make your mission public: It might seem obvious, but without a strong desire or good reason to learn a new language, you might struggle to stay motivated long-term. Ask yourself why you want to learn this new language. Write down your reasons and stick them somewhere you can see them everyday. Also, if you tell friends and family about your mission, or make it public on your website, blog, social media, or anywhere else, it confirms your commitment and you’ll be more determined to keep going.
3. Just start! It really is that easy! First, learn to say ‘hello’. And then, when you’ve done that, learn to say ‘my name is… And then learn to say ‘nice to meet you’. And go on like that. By learning ready-made answers, and also how to ask questions, such as ‘where are you from?’ and ‘what do you do?’ you’ll build your vocabulary quickly and before long you’ll feel comfortable holding a simple conversation. Another good tip is to learn the filler words. These are the words and phrases people say then all the time between sentences but have no real meaning (like alors, which means then/so/in that case in French) which can buy you extra thinking time while you’re chatting!
4. Welcome your new language into your every day life. The more you immerse yourself in the new language the more your brain will consider it something worth caring about so invite it in!
- label every object in your house in your chosen language
- read kids’ books written in it
- watch subtitled TED and TEDx talks in it
- watch subtitled movies in it
- listen to an online radio station in your language as you perform other tasks to familiarize yourself with different intonations, pacing and pronunciations
- live-narrate parts of your day to a pet or imaginary foreign friend!
- go to ethnic restaurants and test your language skills with the staff
5. Keep it relevant: In addition to the fact that it’s fun and a challenge, most of us will be learning a new language for travel or work so we can communicate easily and effectively. So when you’re learning think about the kind of things you’re most likely to want to say, or write, in everyday life. Learning words and phrases which help explain your background, situation, interests, as well as current events is a great way to expand your vocabulary.
Learning a new language means learning hundreds of thousands of new words. And that’s no mean feat. The thing is, most languages don’t use the vast majority of their words. Most sit in dictionaries waiting for the day they are plucked out for use in a conference speech or technical paper. In English for example, 65% of written material is composed of just 300 words! To help you concentrate on learning the most frequently used words in a language invest in flashcards or download an app like Anki or Flashcards.
6. Take a free online class or download an audio book. There are free online classes for just about every subject these days, and foreign languages are no different. For example Open Culture boasts a huge collection of free language learning resources, including audiobooks, websites, textbooks. Another great site is LiveMocha, a language learning community which provides instructional materials in 38 languages as well as a platform for speakers to interact with and help each other learn new languages.
7. Turn web browsing time into language learning time. The Language Immersion extension for Chrome helps you build your vocabulary and language knowledge by translating parts of the web page you’re on into your target language. Similar is Readlang which also creates flashcards for you and offers other study tools. You can also read newspaper sites written in your target language for extra more practice.
8. Get appy! Who needs expensive lessons when there are so many great smartphone apps for free! Some of the best include: Duolingo, Memrise, busuu, HiNative, MindSnacks, and Babbel.
9. Make new friends. Interacting in the new language is key — it will teach you to intuitively express your thoughts, instead of mentally translating each sentence before you say it. You can find local conversation groups and language cafés in libraries and community centres. If you live near a university, the international student community is another hot spot for language exchanges and events. Many foreigners in your city will be happy to meet you and hold a language exchange, where you offer mutual support to each other by helping your partner learn your language. Alternatively you could find a foreign pen pal or try The Mixxer, a free educational site designed to connect language learners around the world so that everyone is both student and teacher. The How to learn any language forum is another great source of support. It’s filled with tips and tricks for learning a language from people in the same boat, or who have already done it so it’s a great place to find a mentor.
10. Practice makes perfect: Once you’ve made your pledge, commit and practice, practice, practice! Make it part of your daily routine. Devoting just twenty minutes a day to developing your skill will keep you motivated and you’ll be more successful than if you cram for an hour or two only sporadically.
Of course completely immersing yourself in a country’s culture, by taking a holiday, an extended trip or a sabbatical, is a fantastic way to improve your language skills. It allows you to experience a place on a more intimate level, mingle with the locals and forge lasting friendships and memories, especially if you’ve learnt the basics before you go. Remember that native speakers are like doting parents: any attempt from you to communicate in their language is objective proof that you are a gifted genius.
Is your routine holding you back?
[Tweet ““If you think adventure is dangerous try routine. It’s lethal.” ~ Paulo Coelho”]
For me variety is the spice of life. I like every day to be different and I’ve always tried to avoid falling into habits and routines. So when I had my little boy, almost two years ago now, I’m the first to admit that being at home all day and juggling feeds, nap times, nappy changes, and everything else that a new baby brings, took some getting used to.
As any new parent knows, having a tiny little person relying on you for everything is hard work. You’re no longer have the freedom you used to. Even the simplest task, like meeting friends for coffee, requires an element of forward planning and spontaneity gores out of the window. Within weeks I developed my own little way of doing things. I was in the motherhood groove and and before long I had a routine!
My husband and I were in Brighton when I realised just how much of a creature of habit I’d become. It’s amazing how much clarity a change of scene can bring. Being by the sea, exploring a new city, and escaping the ‘daily grind’ left us both feeling inspired, refreshed and re-invigorated.
Getting a new perspective
Zack was now a few months old and having adapted to being parents things were becoming much easier. We realised that while there are always going to be jobs to do, and obligations and responsibilities to fulfil, life doesn’t have to feel like Groundhog Day.
Exploring a new city
On the journey home we agreed that while some routines are helpful and even necessary, especially for Zack, others had seen us get too comfortable and complacent. So we decided that some things needed to change.
Things that changed after our trip:
- I left my 9-5 and started writing part-time for Do What You Love. Now I’m free to work wherever and whenever I choose and to do all the things I love – be a mum, go running, do yoga, and be creative. Embracing new opportunities and connecting with interesting new people is part of the job so no two days are ever the same. I want Zack to grow up understanding that my work makes me happy and that I have my own hopes and dreams.
- We stopped complaining about how much time we waste watching TV and now, instead:
– we limit the amount of TV we watch
– we have regular date nights
– we have dinner as a family and talk
– we socialise more in the evenings with family and friends
– we spend more of our free time being creative and working on our own passion projects
- We looked at our finances to see where we could cut back and save money for a weekend away every few months.
- We both started doing more exercise. I joined a gym and my husband started running with colleagues at work.
- We made a 5-year plan that will help us live the life we really want and create our own special memories along the way.
10 simple ways to shake up your routine today:
- Change your schedule. Get up with the sun and take an early morning walk. You’ll see your world differently, sense different emotions in the people you meet and hear different sounds.
- Change your style – do your hair or make-up differently or experiment with clothes to find a new look.
- Commute a different way to work, or instead of going by car take the bus, train, walk or cycle.
- Take a class or a course in something you’re interested in, who knows what doors may open.
- Pick a different place to hang out. If you meet friends at a local bar, try a local restaurant. Or do something different – go to a sporting event watch a gig or have a dinner party.
- Have a conversation with someone new. Make this your daily mission and who knows, you might make a friend for life!
- Make more of your lunch break. Go to museums, try new restaurants, meet a friend, walk in the park, do something you’ve never done before or go somewhere you’ve never been before.
- Have a mini-adventure at the weekend. Do a road trip, go hiking or camping or explore a new city.
- Be inspired and get creative. Watch this playlist of TED Talks to kickstart your creativity, or read this excerptfrom Pico Iyer’s TED Book, The Art of Stillness.
- Take a day off and give yourself permission to do anything you want. Go for a long, solitary walk; write poetry; bake; go shopping; read a novel; watch a blockbuster; paint; make something for a friend; have a picnic in the middle of nowhere and then lie in the grass and look at the clouds.
[Tweet “Have you ever felt stuck in a rut?”] Do you follow the same routine, day in, day out? What small changes could you make to mix things up today?
Rachel
The Do What You Love e-course will help you ditch bad habits and boring routines, and lead you to see what you really want (or need) more clearly.
“I am now far more open to ideas and willing to say yes to opportunities. I think, well, what’s the worst that can happen?!” Shona W., Do What You Love participant, Jan 2015
Join us this June for the experience of a lifetime.
Ditch the routine
Do you have a routine? How does it go?
Chances are you don’t acknowledge your routine day to day, but we bet you have one. You probably go through most of it on autopilot, without stopping to consider whether what you’re doing is healthy, productive or enjoyable. Isn’t it time to change that?
We’ve been really enjoying doing the activities from the Do What You Love e-course recently. Week three of the course is all about being brave and coming alive. One of the activities asks you to spend a day mixing things up a bit, so we asked Rose to ditch her routine today. Here’s what happened.
When I started thinking about what I was going to do differently today, I was at a bit of a loss. Shaking up your routine is inevitably going to move you out of your comfort zone – that was clear at the very moment I started thinking about it. But when I really got to thinking about what I could do differently, I felt a strange sense of excitement.
It started with breakfast. Today I swapped my usual Marmite for Nutella and bananas on toast. Having chocolate for breakfast always feels indulgent, but it’s the chocolate-banana combo that makes this an unbeatable start to the day.
Rather than sitting straight down in front of my computer after breakfast, I decided to go for a morning stroll on the seafront. It was a beautiful day – sunny and breezy – and I was surprised to find so many people by the sea before 9am. I was even more surprised at how friendly everyone was. I tend to assume everyone is grumpy in the morning, not being a morning person myself. But receiving so many friendly hellos so early in the day put me in a great mood.
After my stroll it was time to get to work. But I was feeling remarkably chirpy, and I didn’t fancy working on my own. I decided to give my friend (a freelance designer who works from home) a call. She invited me to work at her house, so I grabbed some juice and biscuits and headed over.
I loved working somewhere new in the company of my friend and her cat, Mila. We enjoyed frothy coffee, countless snacks and great music. And I had a really productive working day.
I was so surprised at what an effect shaking up my routine had on my mood, and my productivity. I felt more alive today than I have in weeks. I’m looking forward to changing my routine in different ways in the future – perhaps I’ll end up replacing my old routine with a great new one that’s just right for me!
The Do What You Love e-course will help you ditch bad habits and boring routines, and lead you to see what you really want (or need) more clearly.
“I am now far more open to ideas and willing to say yes to opportunities. I think, well, whats the worst that can happen?!” Shona W., Do What You Love participant, Jan 2015
Join us this June for the experience of a lifetime.
Child’s play
We’re a week closer to the beginning of the next Do What You Love e-course, and this week we’ve been doing one of the many exercises designed to help you excavate your story. We asked Rose to take a trip down memory lane and draw a picture of what ‘play’ looked like for her as a child. Here’s what she came up with.
“My initial reaction was an all too common one – ‘I can’t draw’. I like to think of myself as artistic in other ways, but drawing, especially from memory, definitely isn’t my forte.
But, as Vickie pointed out, this isn’t a drawing competition. So I set to work. As a child I remember playing with baby dolls, making dens, running shops and holding tea parties for my toys. My strongest memories are of those tea parties, so I started drawing. As I drew, that carefree feeling of being surrounded by my much-loved toys crept back up on me, and I started to really enjoy it. I began to remember seating my toys next to their ‘best friends’ and serving them from my miniature polka dot teapot and stripey tea cups. If I was lucky, my mum would help me bake miniature cupcakes for the occasion, too.
Doing the exercise got me thinking about how that early love of entertaining stuck with me as I grew up. I spent ten years in the hospitality and events industry, and although I left it behind me in favour of more regular, sociable hours, I look back so fondly on the days of working in a team to make those big birthdays and wedding receptions completely unforgettable. It’s clear that I’ve always loved making those special occasions happen, for both toys and humans, and I know I always will.”
The Do What You Love e-course will encourage you to reconnect to the real you, deep inside, in order to uncover what you really love. Understanding yourself and your passions will help you map out your perfect road ahead.
“This course is like pressing a pause button on your life – to take stock and help realise your potential.” Course participant, January 2015
Join us this June for the experience of a lifetime.