With 2019 only a few days away, it’s natural to find yourself pondering over the past year. You might regret not going on that impromptu trip with your friends, or lament the fact that you didn’t do anything out of your comfort zone this year either. Make sure 2019 isn’t a repeat telecast of 2018.

Here are a few things you can do to make the coming year a bit more adventurous and thus a whole lot satisfying.

Go on a road trip
We all have seen enough road trip movies to know how fun they can be. So, find someplace new. It doesn’t have to be Pokhara or Chitwan, rather someplace completely new, after all Nepal has 75 districts all blessed equally with natural wonders. And while you are there don’t forget to appreciate the local culture as well as take in all the greenery and fresh air. In road trips, you are in charge. You are away from your work deadlines and others telling you what to do. You control your departure time, arrival time, itinerary and stops along the way. You don’t have to pay attention to train schedules or airline routes as you plan your trip. If you see something interesting on the way, you can stop and take a look. So, road trips are good way to feel in control of your life, even when your life isn’t as great as you want it to be. 

Take up an extreme sport
As the guys from the YouTube channel “Yes Theory” put it, ”seek discomfort”. It’s always fun to challenge yourself by doing something out of your comfort zone. Go bungee jumping, paragliding, rafting, or climb a mountain if you can. Do everything that makes your legs shiver. Extreme sports task you with overcoming difficult physical challenges. After all, it’s not easy to climb a mountain. But if you can complete these challenges, your rewards will be much more than merely physical. Studies have found a strong link between extreme sports and a higher level of self-confidence. This makes sense when you consider the fact that accomplishing a task so physically daunting is something that you should feel proud of. The self-confidence boost can have a positive impact on every aspect of your life and make you a self-reliant person. Also, a picture of you bungee jumping on Facebook can have quite the impact.

Run a marathon
This is pretty simple and less time consuming. If you find out there is a marathon or perhaps even a walkathon in your city, participate in it. This will make you walk and run for at least a week (prior to the marathon) that, safe to say, will add at least a few months to your life. Also, it’s a pretty daunting task, and completing it can be a great motivational boost along the lines of ‘If I could do that, I can do anything’. It’s also great health wise. Besides helping you lose or maintain weight, there are lots of other health benefits of marathon training. Running will strengthen your heart and ensure efficient flow of blood and oxygen throughout your body, which helps decrease your risk of a heart attack. Moreover, you will get a medal, a certificate and most probably a free shirt as well, which is a lot more than what you would receive on a Saturday morning if you stayed home in your pajamas. Also, let’s not forget a lifetime of bragging rights as well as a sense of pride for having supported a cause (as most marathons have a cause like disaster relief to fighting cancer). 

Achieve your ideal weight
Or in other words, exercise. We all know we should do it but most of us fall into the trap of our daily routine after a few days and give up on our newly created fitness regime. But in the coming year, stick to it. The benefits of exercising are innumerable – it makes you happy, it’s good for your muscles and bones, it reduces health risks etc. So make it a point to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. If you can’t fit in a single 30-minute workout session into a workday, break it down into three 10-minute sessions. You also don’t have to hit the gym. You can exercise at home. Just put on a YouTube video and follow the instructions. If the thought of working out scares you, start with something simple like stretching or light yoga and take it up from there.  

Eat alone
Not many of us can say we have gone out and had lunch or dinner at a restaurant alone. When we see a person eating alone at a restaurant, we often assume that he or she is lonely. But that’s not always the case. Eating alone allows you to concentrate on your food and enjoy a meal. It’s also good when you want some time by yourself for some introspection. Mealtime is a good 30 minutes when you can meditate on the day, reflect on things, and even do some problem-solving. You can also use this time to listen to a podcast or catch up on some essential reading instead of having to put up with incessant chatter. Make it a point to have at least one or two meals a week alone to give yourself some much-needed time to unwind and rid your mind of clutter. 

 
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