So, Dear Readers, I am a liar. I admit it.
In my last posting several eons ago, I made a solemn promise to you that
I would be back soon… and then
subsequently fell off the blogging band wagon entirely. It has been far too long since I’ve last
checked in, though to my infinite surprise, that has not been true of my
readers. So a big “Thanks!” goes out to
the new people who have joined in the fun and the “old” people who are still
lurking around. I hope you have enjoyed
the ride!
And despite some bumps and bruises, I am declaring the Novel
Experience Experiment a success. Yes, I
stopped writing, and clearly that is a pesky detail that creates a dark cloud
over the experiment as a whole. However,
while largely undocumented, my pursuit of novelty has continued throughout the prescribed
year and then well beyond to the present day.
So what happened to this blog, you might ask? Well, I think it is fair to say that I was a
victim of my own success. The more novel
experiences I got under my belt, the fuller my life became. On the one hand, this is fabulous. On the other, when you add a new business or
hobby or responsibility, (or all of the above), to your already full plate that
includes an existing business, toddler and new baby, some of the less novel
activities have a tendency to slide. And
that, dear readers, became the sad fate of this blog.
But let’s not get stuck on the negatives! It’s such a depressing place to reside when
there are such positive outcomes to behold!
Because, in my humble opinion, the answer to whether or not novelty can
lead to greater happiness and life satisfaction has been a resounding YES! Yes, I am a novelty seeker, and therefore
more apt to enjoy this type of thing.
But the feedback I received from the readers who chose to take part in
the project backs up what I myself have found to be true. Consciously creating novelty in your life
leads to greater life satisfaction! So,
here is my own anecdotal report about the benefits of novelty:
1. Stimulant
for my brain: I don’t know about you,
but if I let my brain become too idle it finds things to take up time and
space. And usually these “filler
thoughts” aren’t super fun or positive.
Some are neutral – like my grocery list and the awareness that I need to
buy more socks. But lots of the free
space in my brain tends to get filled up with unnecessary worries; mostly about
things that are out of my control. Not a
good use of my time or energy! The more
novel experiences I had, the more fun stuff I had to think about and the less
room there was for ruminating on the negative or troublesome.
2. Salve for my Impending Midlife Crisis: Which leads me to my existential angst. I’m becoming frighteningly old. Despite the fact that I still feel like I am
in my mid-twenties, my mirror and my calendar regularly tell me otherwise. This fact, when dwelled upon, frightens me
and prompts the emergence of this nagging little voice that reminds me that I’m
not living my life to the fullest. The
most unexpected result of this project was the quieting of “The Voice.” The more novel experiences I had, the less I
felt as though I was missing out on something.
Or that life was passing me by. Because
I wasn’t and it wasn’t. This was
partially because…
3. Antidote to Procrastination: …the experiment forced me to stop
procrastinating. I’ve spent years contemplating
joining the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) movement, and purchasing a
farm share. Last Autumn, in the interest
of novelty seeking, I finally did it! This
exposed me to a whole world of novelty in the form of vegetables, food, and
cooking experiences. For instance, did
you know that brussel sprouts grow on a stalk?
Neither did I!
How many times do you find yourself
thinking, “I should do that… someday...”
How often do these intentions get swept away by the routines and
responsibilities of daily life? This experiment
prompted me to start walking down some of my previously identified pathways,
and the results have been wonderful!
I’ve started a new business, streamlined my work, found new hobbies and
past times, and exposed my children to lots of learning and experiences. It’s been awesome! My world has opened up and has led to the …
4. Expanding of My Comfort Zone: When I started this experiment, I had a very
well defined comfort zone from which I infrequently ventured beyond. As I added novel experiences to my
repertoire, my comfort zone increased ten-fold and I became well practiced at
being a beginner once again. It was as
though I had been wearing a mask that limited my vision. Suddenly, it was lifted and I could see all
the possibilities that the world was laying at my feet. Things that other people did became options
that I could use to fulfill my commitment to novelty. My confidence increased and my anxiety
decreased as my comfort zone opened up around me.
So whether I’ve taken a class in stand up
paddle boarding or have consumed chocolate covered bacon the experiences have
led to many positive memories and a great deal of fun! I think each one of us can benefit from
increasing the novelty in our lives, but there are certain guidelines I have
discovered to keep things fun. Stay
tuned for Part Two, where I shall present my “Observations about Novelty.” I know…
I know… I’ve said that I’ll be
back before and look where that got us!
So, Dear Reader, let’s consider this to be a trust building exercise… Like a trust fall without the risk to your
physical integrity…. And that falling
part… Cuz I’m still not going to be
jumping out of an airplane anytime soon!
(To be continued…)
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