How are you feeling about your life at the moment? Are you happy with everything – or are you craving a little more excitement and adventure?

A lot of people would say that they are looking for a little something more than their day-to-day routine. This is not to say that you are unhappy in your life, but it’s natural to miss the feeling of spontaneity and wonder that we had as children when we had fewer responsibilities and more opportunity for play.

However, we often forget that as adults, we can choose our adventures. Don’t let your daily routine make you forget that!

Big Challenges vs Small Challenges

One of our patients took on a trek in the North Pole with colleagues – an event that helped her discover new levels of strength, determination and resilience. You can read about the challenge here. Many of our patients train for overseas events several times a year. The hit book Wild by Cheryl Strayed is the tale of one woman’s lone hike along the Pacific Crest Trail after the death of her mother.

While these challenges are huge and life-changing – changing the every day lives of these people as they prepare and giving them a great experience to share with others – not all challenges have to be so big.

If you are called to take on such a challenge – go for it! We would love to help and to hear about it. However, for you, the challenge might be learning a new skill. Maybe you’ll take that pottery class you’ve always wanted to do. Or perhaps you’ll finally sign up for that Masters.

It’s not about how big the challenge is – it’s about how important it is to you.

Home or Away?

Feeling the pull for a big physical challenge? You have to decide just how big you’re going to go – are you going to aim for a once-in-a-lifetime experience or do you want to set yourself a new challenge each year? This could affect what you choose to do.

You could sign up for a marathon in New York – not only would you have to train for it, but you’d also have a trip away to look forward to.

Or you could try something even more exotic and sign up for a charity fundraising event like climbing Kilimanjaro or walking the Great Wall of China.

If you wanted to start smaller – there are plenty of great things you can do here in the UK. From triathlons in Scotland to the Three Peaks Challenge in Northern England or the annual Pru Ride London, there are plenty of challenges available.

Lay the Groundwork

As with any challenge, it’s important to lay the groundwork. If you’re going back to university for your Masters or PhD, you need to research programmes and start reading up on your subject some more.

The same goes for a physical challenge. Book in for an appointment with us for an MOT. Let your practitioner know what you’re taking on and they’ll be able to advise you on your training programme, what to look out for to prevent injury and how to look after yourself throughout the training process and the challenge itself. It’s always important to take care of yourself when training to prevent the disappointment of injury.

So what do you say – are you inspired to take on a crazy challenge and ignite your everyday?