Trying new things can be intimidating, exciting, or thrilling. What type of new things person are you? Are you a Beginner, Explorer, or Adventurer? Take the quiz to find out and after you’re done, I’ll share some ideas for each type.

Remember, trying new things is important. It improves our memory, increases our happiness, and gives us opportunities to socialize (depending on what you’re doing.) Studies show that when older people learn new things it helps keep dementia at bay. Doing puzzles and games improves short-term memory. But learning complex things that are challenging and difficult is where you see the most improvement.

Take the Quiz.

Instructions: For each question choose the option that best represents your attitude towards trying new things. Be honest with your answers to get the most accurate result.

1. When presented with a new food dish you’ve never tried before, you:
   a) Tend to stick with what you know and prefer familiar dishes.
   b) Are willing to give it a try if it doesn’t look too strange or unusual.
   c) Can’t wait to try it, no matter how exotic or unusual it appears.
   
   
2. Your friends invite you to a dance class you’ve never taken before. You respond by:
   a) Politely declining, as you feel uncomfortable trying new activities in public.
   b) Consider joining but might feel a bit hesitant and self-conscious.
   c) Excitedly agreeing and looking forward to learning new moves.
   
   
3. Your ideal vacation involves:
   a) Visiting familiar destinations and enjoying what you already know you love.
   b) Exploring some new places but staying within your comfort zone.
   c) Going on an adventure to a remote or exotic location you’ve never been to before.
   
   
4. Your thoughts on trying extreme sports like skydiving or bungee jumping are:
   a) Absolutely not! You prefer to keep your feet firmly on the ground.
   b) You might consider trying a milder adventure sport, but nothing too extreme.
   c) Bring it on! You crave the adrenaline rush and enjoy taking risks.
   
   
5. How do you feel about making spontaneous, unplanned decisions?
   a) Uncomfortable – you prefer sticking to well-thought-out plans.
   b) Somewhat uneasy, but you’re willing to try it occasionally.
   c) Thrilled! Spontaneity adds excitement to life.
   
   
6. When trying a new hobby or skill, you tend to:
   a) Give up easily if it feels too challenging or unfamiliar.
   b) Persist and practice, but might lose interest if progress is slow.
   c) Embrace the challenge, enjoy the learning process, and seek to master it.
   
   
7. Your reaction to meeting new people is typically:
   a) Shy and reserved – you find it challenging to initiate conversations.
   b) A bit cautious, but you can warm up to others over time.
   c) Outgoing and enthusiastic – you enjoy making new connections.
   
   
8. How often do you seek out new experiences or try something out of your comfort zone?
   a) Rarely, if ever. You prefer a predictable and stable routine.
   b) Occasionally, when you feel a little adventurous.
   c) Frequently, as you actively seek excitement and novelty.

Now, let’s tally up your answers:

• For every “a” answer, give yourself 1 point.
• For every “b” answer, give yourself 2 points.
• For every “c” answer, give yourself 3 points.

Add up your total score and find out your level:

• 8 to 12 points: You are a timid beginner, preferring to stick with familiar and safe experiences.
• 13 to 17 points: You are a middle-of-the-road explorer, willing to try new things within reasonable limits.
• 18 to 24 points: You are an all-out adventurer, always seeking thrills and embracing risks in new experiences.

Remember, this quiz is just for fun and not a definitive assessment. Embrace your willingness to try new things, and don’t hesitate to step out of your comfort zone to enrich your life with exciting experiences! Here are some ideas to try no matter what you scored

Beginner

If trying something new is so far outside of your comfort zone, then it’s best to start small and work your way up.

Drive a new route to work. Not only is this an easy way to dip your toes into the new things pool but driving a new route to work is good for you. Our mind gets bored when we continue to drive the same route over and over again. Ever have that feeling that you don’t know how you got so far in your drive or that you missed everything while getting to work that day? You’re brain was so bored it had you thinking of other things, like what you’re going to have for dinner or do on the weekend.

Choosing a new route will bring you back to being in the moment. You need to pay attention because you’re not sure where the turns are. You’re also building up your hippocampus the area of emotions and memory in your brain. Stronger memory has an impact on all areas of your life.

Read a Different Genre. Ever find yourself getting stuck in only reading suspense or only biographies? Try something different this week. Read a book that you wouldn’t normally select. Only read mysteries? Try a self-help book or a comedy. Only read biographies? Try reading historical fiction or poetry.

Reading different types of books opens up your world, increases your knowledge, it also increases your vocabulary, and gives you a broader perspective of the world. That’s something we desperately need right now. broader perspectives.

Go Fly a Kite. Come on now. It’s fun to fly a kite and just might remind you of your childhood. What’s wrong with that? Also, flying a kite is one of those things you have to do out in the open. People might see you, so while it’s still a beginner step, it can be seen as a stepping stone to the next level-explorer.

Try a New Recipe. Probably hard for people who don’t like to cook or who just like to eat the same type of food they always eat. But go out and try something different. You can look at plenty of food blogs or just go to Pinterest. I keep a food board on Pinterest just to keep different recipes that I want to try. (Let’s be honest, I’ll give them to my husband to cook, but I’m still trying something new!)

Explorer

Take an Online Class. Learning anything new is a positive step in the right direction. Taking an online class allows you to do it from the comfort of your own home. You get the benefit of learning something new without having to step into a classroom to do it. Since the Pandemic, there’s been an increase in online learning opportunities. Some are free and some are paid. Just start looking for things you’re interested in.

Volunteer. You can volunteer at a soup kitchen, a dog shelter, or a domestic violence shelter. Become a Big Brother or Big Sister. Assist children with Literacy. The options are endless. Some towns organize volunteer activities but there are numerous ways you can try volunteering. Just search for volunteer opportunities in your town.

Learn to Cross-Country Ski. Now this might seem to be more of an Adventurer thing to some, but really, it’s not. Cross-country skiing is more of a workout than anything else, and you do it mostly on flat surfaces or places with some hills but not big hills. You can learn with some friends or find local ski areas that teach it. When I first learned a friend showed me how to do it at a local park. All flat surfaces. I fell and I slowly (and I mean slowly) ran into a tree. And we laughed. The following year, I took a lesson at a cross-country ski resort.

Paint Night. Go out with friends or attend one on your own. Some are held at art studios and some bars hold paint nights on a Monday or Tuesday as a way to get people into their business. Even if you think you can’t paint, trust me, you’ll be surprised by how well you do. And you’ll laugh and have a good time whether you’re with friends or with people you just met.

Have a Game Night. Pick some fun games and enjoy a game night with friends. Maybe try out that new recipe you learned or just get snacks and wine or beer. It doesn’t matter. Game nights are fun. There are so many new games out that are meant to challenge you while making you laugh.

Here are two games that I’ve played. Cards Against Humanity is one simple game designed to make you laugh. And laugh you will especially if you don’t mind risque humor. Another game is What Do You Meme. Also can be risque. Both games prompt you to show a card that holds a phrase you think fits. I’ve played these games with girlfriends who are my age and my husband and I played them with friends who are twenty years younger than us. Relax and laugh.

Adventurer

Volunteer Vacation. If you like to volunteer then this is right up your alley. There are so many opportunities from building or maintaining a trail or hosting a campground in a National Park to international opportunities to help the environment, or sea and wildlife. You can also put your skills to use by volunteering to teach or provide medical services.

Take a Hot Air Balloon Ride. If you’re afraid of hikes, then take the tethered one in Disney Springs in Florida. If hights don’t bother you then go for it. Just search online and be sure to read those reviews too!

Take a Polar Plunge. This is a yearly event. Some are for charity and some are just to prove you can take it. I did a charity plunge. It’s in the Adventurer section because you really do need to have some courage to go jumping into a lake or ocean in the winter. I did it on a day in which the wind chill brought the air temperature down to 13 degrees. The lake we jumped into was mostly covered in ice except in the area we were using. Would I do it again? No. But I raised 300.00 for the Special Olympics that day. Try it once, if your doctor clears you for it.

Organize a Progressive Dinner Party. While that might seem more of an Explorer option, I put it into the Adventurer section because you still have to convince at least 2 to 4 other people to participate. A progressive dinner party involves 3 to 5 people each volunteering to host a different portion of a dinner party at their house. You may start with cocktails at one house and then move to another house for appetizers.

If you have to drive all over the place to participate, just stick with three: Appetizers, Main Course, and Dessert. If you’re in a neighborhood and walking from home to home, you can begin with Cocktails and end with After-dinner drinks. What’s nice about a progressive dinner party is that it doesn’t put the burden on one person to take care of the full or most of the meal. Everyone participates. Plus, there’s some exercise in between to burn off some of those calories!

I hope you find something that you’re interested in trying. And if you need the inspiration to step forward and try new things, read Why Is It So Hard to Try New Things for some ideas.