Badge: Adventurer

Anyone can become an adventurer. No adventure is too big or too small. It’s the willingness to do something new that matters.

Steps

1. Adventure.

Don’t think of an adventure as something you have to spend a lot of money or time to do. Instead, look for fun things you haven’t tried before. Some things that might be adventurous include:

Reading a book in a genre you wouldn’t normally read
Taking your dog for a walk at a different park
Trying an Enrichment Project badge program
Watching videos for an outdoor activity you’d like to try
Take an art class
Go to a concert
Try geocaching
Listen to a podcast

2. Skills.

Make a list of your current skills. Rate yourself on a scale of 1-5 to determine your level of knowledge.

5 — An expert and ready to take it to the next level
4 — Pretty confident, but there are a few more things I could learn
3 — Average, but still enthusiastic
2 —Pretty good understanding, but a lot more to learn
1 — Just starting, but eager to learn
0 — Tried it, but didn’t like it

Why the 0? You’re not going to like everything you try. For every 0, write what you didn’t like about the skill you tried. It might be you didn’t like the environment or person teaching you. Think about it . . . you might want to try it again!

3. Interests.

What are you currently interested in trying, doing or expanding upon? This might be your skills or just something you’ve experienced that you’d really like to learn more about. Rate your level of interest on the 1-5 scale below.

5 — This is really cool and I can’t wait to try it
4 — Pretty neat and I might want to learn more
3 — It was really interesting, but I’m too busy to do more with this now
2 — My interest was piqued, but I’m not sure I want to do more
1 — I liked aspects of it, but not enough to learn more
0 — It wasn’t what I was expecting

You might find things that look interesting turn out to be not as much fun as you thought. For example, I used to cook a lot. My allergies have gotten to the point that it takes a lot of “flavor” before I can smell / taste what I’m cooking. As a person who used their nose for cooking, it is very difficult for me not to get frustrated at the process.

4. Try.

Look at your 5s in both skills and interests. This is where you should start. Enthusiasm and excitement will push you past the rough spots. List out your 5s. Can you link any of these together into an ultimate adventure tailored for you?

5. Online.

There’s a lot more out there to experience than you can think of. Use your favorite search engine to find out what goes with your 5s. You want to look at courses, videos, articles and more. Which do you respond to? Just like you might connect to a certain subject with one experience and not other, you might find you connect better with different experts and teachers . . . .or even with the different ways the information is presented to you. Add notes to your list.

6. Individual.

Individual adventures are the easiest to start and complete. You are the only one holding you back. Brainstorm individual adventures that you might enjoy. Check out the Enrichment Project Supplement for adventure ideas to start. Find one you like and take an individual adventure.

7. Pair up.

Pairing up with a friend allows you to have someone to share the experience with as well as someone to push you when your own motivation is low. Find a friend interested in your adventure and take it together.

8. Local.

Local groups and organizations can give you access to adventures you might not be able to enjoy individually, especially if the cost of entry into your adventure is high. They also might be able to bring new ideas and experiences into your adventure. Look at local groups and see if you can find one that meets your adventurous ideas. Go check them out!

9. Start a group.

You might not be able to find a Meetup or Eventbrite group or a local organization that fits you. Creating a group can attract others with similar interests. You might want to start a general adventure group where members take turns bringing adventure ideas into the group or focus on a specific type like outdoor adventures or water sports.

10. Track.

Tracking your adventures allows you to look back after the experience and determine what you liked (and didn’t like) about your adventure. You might do this in a journal, video diary or scrapbook it. Tracking allows you to document what you learned, where you went, who participated and what aspects you enjoyed (or didn’t) during your adventure. You can use this information for future adventures.

11 Challenge.

Challenge yourself to do the same adventure multiple times or even to do a series of mini-adventures. By challenging yourself, you’re more likely to put down a date and actually do it instead of looking forward to doing it “some day.” Explore ways to take your adventures from a one-time event to a challenge.

12. Expand.

After doing your first adventure, ask yourself if you’re ready for the next level. For example, learning to cook a new French dish might lead you into taking a course in French cooking or even going to France to experience the real thing. Look at your adventure. How might you expand it to do something bigger and more fulfilling?

Badge and Supplement Files

Member Level

EP_Badge List_ Adventurer_larajla — list of badge items
EP_Supp_List_ Adventurer_larajla — list of supplements for the badge
SUPP_BPG_ Adventurer_2in_12up_larajla — generic badge printable
SUPP_ Adventurer_Journal_larajla — badge journal
SUPP_ Adventurer_Planner_larajla — badge planner

Supplement Fun

SUPP_Printable_FORM_Interests_larajla — List your top interests
SUPP_Printable_FORM_Skills_larajla — List your top skills
SUPP_Printable_FORM_Adventures Top 5_larajla — From Interests and Skills, choose your top 5 of each
SUPP_Printable_FORM_Adventures_larajla — General ideas for starting your own adventures

Sites to Explore

Get the infographic here > larajla blog post
Get the PDFs of the badge program / supplements here

Badge: Adventurer

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