You have 168 hours a week. Use your time wisely!

I was recently enjoying dinner with two friends when we started to discuss which our most and least favourite day of the week is. The discussion turned to Friday’s being the most popular, where the working week work is at it’s end and you have the whole of the weekend stretching out ahead of you and then you have Monday being the least favourite, with the whole week in front of you, before you reach next weekend.

I’ve been thinking loads lately that time seems to be whizzing past me so quickly. I have blinked and this year is already nearly over. I have been in Budapest now 7 months and I don’t know where that time has gone, it’s literally flown by. It got me thinking, that I don’t want to wish away any days. I don’t want to have most and least favourite days, I want to make the most of each of them and enjoy the week as much as the weekend. Its all part of living in the moment and making the most of now, not waiting for some time in the future to enjoy myself.

I also want to reassess how I am spending my time and that I am filling it with the things that I love. I have recently been feeling like I have been spending too much time out eating, drinking and partying and I want to change the balance to vary the activities I am getting involved with.

This is when I was introduced to the concept of microadventures, inspired by Alistair Humphreys. I LOVE this concept.  Humphreys defines microadventures as ‘an adventure that is close to home, cheap, simple, short, and yet very effective.’ It’s hard to go on huge adventures all the time as you have to juggle the commitments and constraints of our real lives. Microadventures have all the aspects of a big adventure, it’s just all condensed into a weekend away, or a midweek escape from the office. (6pm – 9am is a lot of hours available for fun activities) Finding adventure is all in your mindset and can be found all around us, at all times, every day and it is up to us to seek it out.

It’s about that time of year, that I normally start thinking about New Year Resolutions and what I am going to commit to for 2016. Having read much of Humphreys blog, I have decided that in 2016, instead of making New Year Resolutions, my focus is to have a year of microadventures. Alistair talks about sleeping outside for all his adventures, but I have a variety of different ideas, after all it’s important that I do things that I want to do and that I will enjoy and be true to Being Mel.  I want more fresh air, nature, learning new skills, stretching myself mentally and physically, trying new things, meeting new people, discovering new places, leaving my comfort zone, pushing myself and feeling exhausted in a good way!

I love a challenge and this is a year long challenge that I am very excited about. As soon as my friend introduced this concept, I went home and started planning what microadventures I could get involved with. I have detailed out how I am going to tackle the challenge and will update on how I am getting on throughout the year.

My microadventure vision

Each month I will undertake to the best of my ability the below, to:

• Travel to one new place overnight
• Learn or practise one new skill
• Get the train to one new place in Hungary and explore the area
• Choose one different way to get to or from work
• Cook one new recipe from scratch and invite a friend to sample the results
• Watch one classic movie that I have not seen before

Some of these may not seem that adventurous to everyone, but the point is that I am spending my time doing activities that I have thought about, that I really want to do and that I value. I will of course not limit myself to this list, and try to incorporate as many microadventures as I can each week. Adventure is all in your mindset and I believe you can turn any activity into an adventure. Micro adventures just allow you to do that in between having a full time job!

Looking for a new challenge? Want to join me in the mission? Why would you benefit from this?

5 reasons to carry out the microadventure challenge

1) Time is short don’t wish it away

Its unbelievable how quickly the time passes by. If you are always looking forward to the next weekend, you are wishing away precious time in the week. By planning cool stuff in the week, it helps you to enjoy every day to the fullest and not always be looking forward to the future.

2) Make the most of your 168 hours

With the hours you do have available you have a choice in how you spend them. Of course some people have more responsibilities that others, but everyone still has choices to make. Are you sitting watching X factor, complaining that you don’t have time to do this sort of stuff? Planning microadventures allows you to live both the week and the weekends to the fullest.

3) Learn stuff and develop yourself

Have micro adventures can stretch and develop you. Learning new things and trying things out can be great fun. It often leaves you with that lovely exhausted content feeling, where you go to bed satisfied and then sleep really well.

4) Meet people

If you discover new places and try out new things, you are likely to meet new people. It’s always cool meeting new people.

 5) Being more active

Lot’s of microadventures involve being active both mentally and physically, this will contribute towards your fitness without having to go and do a gym workout.

I’m not going to wait to January to start this, I’m going to take immediate action on it and see what adventures December hols!

Share in the comments below any ideas you have for micro adventures and I will try to take on as many of them as I can throughout the next 12 months.