Do you ever find yourself mustering up the courage to go ride a bike that's been ignored in the garage for umpteen years? Do you spend an hour getting ready and nervously peddle out onto the road not really sure where you're going, only to find yourself half a mile away from home worried about vehicles passing by and self conscious that everyone realizes you have no idea what you're doing?  That was me. I did that.  Another excuse that I made for not being courageous and adventurous was that none of my friends wanted to be active or outdoorsy.

Here's how I changed my lifestyle and went from excuse laden couch slouch to trail hound:

1.  Stop making excuses. Make new friends. Well, you will in time.

2.  Decide what it is you'd like to do.  Be reasonable, choose "ride my bike 5 miles" or "go to a yoga class".  Choose an attainable goal so that you aren't setting yourself up for failure. Do the research! If you want to ride your bike, look online for a bike path, know where to find it, whether it's steep or not, how long it is, etc. Be prepared, make a plan and go ride! Being prepared reduces the amount of courage you need. You know what to expect. Now, be courageous and take the first step.

3.  Join a meetup for beginners, put on your adult panties and GO to an activity.  If it's a yoga class you'd like to try, go to a discount retailer that carries sporting goods and buy a yoga mat.  Practice some yoga for beginners on YouTube for a couple of weeks to gain confidence in the basic postures and then buy a groupon to a studio and USE IT. Practicing the positions with online videos reduces the amount of courage you need to join your first class. You're familiar with the postures. You know what to expect. Now, be courageous and assemble the gear you'll need.

4.  Have reasonable expectations.  Expect the work to be harder than sitting on the couch but don't push too hard in the beginning either.  Expect the hobby and the community ties to take a little time. After a few months you'll have a good feel and understanding of your new activity.  You'll have some confidence about it. You will make new like-minded friends and believe me, it will change your life. Suddenly you'll find that your courage is leading you into some fun adventures with your new friends.

5.  If you don't love what you first tried, try something else!  Repeat the steps until you find your jam and your people and before you know it, you'll be part of your own active tribe. 

You'll look back in a short period of time and see that you became adventurous by being courageous. 

The most courage you'll need is what you bring the first time you show up, after that, it's all smooth sailing!  Get out there, be active and have fun. Yeti. Set. Go!

#findthecourage #beadventurous #coloradoadventures #findyourtribe #findyouradventure