Having a creative mindset is important at this stage in my life.

It’s become impossible to ignore the fact that the good days — when I’m feeling great and doing my best work — have common elements. For one thing, they’re intentional. On those days, I’m in the driver’s seat with clear objectives in mind and a plan to make it happen, even if the objective is simply taking time to think through a problem.

I’ve made a point of recognizing the activities (habits) that work for me and build them into my regular schedule. It might seem that activities take time away from the “doing,” but activities that expand your creative capacity affect every aspect of your life.

Do I occasionally skip some of these habits in my daily routine? Of course. I’m so far from perfect that it’s laughable. But I have put serious effort to stay on track and I’ve learned to start small with new habits.

The first recommendation is creating a habit that includes adding Adventure and Play into your life. Living life is the very basis of our existence. I’ve written about The Call of Adventure before and why it matters.

St. Augustine said: “The world is a book, and those who don’t travel read only one page.”

Adventure calls. Blaze a new trail. Cross a continent. Dare to discover. Escape the routine. Find a fresh perspective. Go slow; gaze absentmindedly and savor every moment. Have some fun! Invest now in future memories.

Journeys are the midwives of thought; Keep a journal. Leave prejudice and narrow mindedness behind. Make for the horizon and meet new people. Navigate the unknown. Observe, and open your mind. Pursue a road less traveled.

Quest for truth. Rely on yourself. Sail away from the safe harbor; Take a risk. Unleash your curiosity. Venture further. Why wait?

Plain and simple, get off your ass and go have some fun!

Embrace new experiences and challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone right now. If people ask why you weren’t at your desk, tell them you were gathering raw material for the next project.

I’ll share other recommendations in the next blog post.