8 Things Try Something New Tuesday Has Taught Me

Tuesdays used to fill me with dread. Then eight years ago I decided to reframe Tuesday by intentionally trying something new each week. An activity, a trial run, a habit hack, an adventure, anything to help me see the full potential held within a Tuesday. Here are the top eight things I’ve learned from making a weekly habit change and intentionally living my least favorite days.

1. Life is Full of New Things

Since 2015, I’ve been trying something new (almost) every Tuesday – that’s roughly 416 new things! Some Tuesdays are planned, while others spontaneously happen. Eight years later I still have a running list of things I want to try or places I want to go. I’ve learned that the world is FULL of things to experience. Life gives us endless opportunities to try new things.  

In 2019, I had the chance to celebrate my birthday with my pen pal Mrs. Lewis, who was 99 years old at the time, living in a nursing home. During our visit, my little brother snuck an ice cream cake into her room without my noticing. 

After the candle blowing and the birthday singing, we divided up the cake. That’s when sweet Mrs. Lewis informed us that she had never tried an ice cream cake before. A beautiful reminder that no matter how old you are, there’s always something new to try.

No matter how old you are, there’s always something new to try.

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2. Now Is the Time To Try Something New

When I began to foster a new relationship with Tuesday, I feared I’d start forming the habit of waiting to try things. Responding to new places or ideas with, “I’ll just wait until Tuesday.” Instead, it’s been the exact opposite. It’s taught me that the present is the best time to try something. 

Instead of putting something off until “one day” I’ve gotten better at prioritizing experiences and places. I’ve learned to organize wishlists and initially plan out activities. Best of all, if it’s something with a low time commitment or easily accessible at the moment, I’ve learned to try it now instead of waiting. 

3. Life happens Outside My Comfort Zone

Intentionally trying new things has pushed me out of my comfort zone, which has overflowed into other areas of my life. If I can try driving a stick transmission or traveling solo on a Tuesday, what else can I do? It’s given me the courage to show up and at least try.

Reflecting on my life, I’ve found that it’s the times when I intentionally get uncomfortable that I grow the most as a person. On the other side of facing fears, or challenging preconceived notions is living. 

Something I started enjoying post-pandemic is solo hiking. It’s taught me how to face rational and irrational fears. Yes, a bear could tear my face off, but am I going to let that stop me from enjoying a beautiful hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway? It’s so much more than a hike, it’s a practice of bravery and getting outside my comfort zone. 

4. The Everyday Can be Extraordinary

Imagine if the most mundane aspects of life could be magical – those days you shrug off as ordinary. Trying something new each Tuesday has taught me to appreciate the gift of time, especially when it’s wrapped up in what appears to be boring gift wrap. 

There is something valuable to be found in every day. You don’t have to wait until the weekend to have fun. With some intentional planning and going with the flow of life, you can make memories during the week. 

A few years ago my friend discovered that I didn’t know how to complete a cartwheel. On Tuesday, we met at the local trampoline park and she patiently taught me the moves. We jumped, cartwheeled (not so gracefully on my end), laughed, and relaxed in the ball pit. Years later, it still makes me smile, especially when I attempt a cartwheel. That could’ve been an ordinary Tuesday comprising the three basics – work, eat, sleep. Instead, it’s a lovely memory.

There is something valuable to be found in every day. You don’t have to wait until the weekend to have fun. With some intentional planning and going with the flow of life, you can make memories during the week.

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5. Little Changes Make a Big Impact on Life

Some Tuesdays are a full day’s activity, like an afternoon in Weaverville, NC. Other Tuesdays are a habit change or something simple like downloading an app and identifying Blue Ridge mountain tops in my backyard. Planting little seeds of change can grow and blossom in ways I couldn’t have imagined. 

For example, I used to use my phone as an alarm clock. When I plugged it in at night I would open it up “just to check something.” Thirty minutes later, I hadn’t checked anything but did manage to get stuck in a social media scroll spiral. The same thing would happen when I woke up. After turning off my alarm, I’d check my notifications and then 30 minutes later I’d feel anxious, filled with dread as I faced the day ahead. 

I wanted a change, so for one try something new Tuesday, I purchased and used a real alarm clock, leaving my phone charging in the kitchen. Years later, that one small change has played an essential role in my productivity and how I start my days.

6. It’s Reshaping the Stories I Tell Myself

Through this journey, I’ve been rewriting the stories I’ve told myself about Tuesdays. They range from cultural influences to 9-to-5 guilt: 

• Tuesdays can’t be fun 
• Tuesdays are a school night
• Tuesday?! Save it for the weekend 
• Aren’t you supposed to be working? 
• Shouldn’t you be checking your email? 
• What will people think? 

Questioning a weekly foundation has taught me to get curious about other aspects of my life. Where else am I not fully living because I’m afraid of what people will think? Or I don’t feel like I have permission to act? 

What story are you telling yourself about your days? Where’s the friction for you? Where does the word “can’t” appear when you think about the changes you need to make to cultivate a life you love waking up for?

Where else am I not fully living because I’m afraid of what people will think?

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7. It’s Taught Me to Prioritize Myself & My Values

There have been weeks when I haven’t wanted to lean into Try Something New Tuesday. My day felt too full, a work project didn’t feel like it could wait or the weather was crummy. Instead of giving in to urgent, I prioritize important by making choices towards becoming the person I want to become.  

This past summer, I had a four-mile hike earmarked for my Try Something New Tuesday. I also had a massive pile of work and the day was forecasted to be overcast. It would’ve been so easy to justify brushing off the hike. Instead, I shifted my schedule, got up early, and took my morning hike, clouds be damned. And it was magical. I got lost getting to the trailhead and talked to a lovely group of people, I cried, got out of breath, and stumbled upon a glorious view right as the clouds separated.   

And I still got the work done. Looking back over the years, I can remember the Try Something New Tuesdays, but I can’t remember the work projects or the excuses that were calling my attention. I want to live a life where I prioritize what matters most. 

8. Consistently is Key

Repetition is the battlefield. It’s coming back to fight for what matters. By trying something new each Tuesday, I’ve begun building the habit of consistently showing up for who I want to be – someone who intentionally seeks joy in their days. 

This consistently has helped me start my own consulting business,  form other life-giving habits and ultimately work towards becoming the architect of my days.

What Are You Waiting For?

What’s something you’ve been waiting to try? What ordinary areas of your life could use a fresh perspective? Comment below or send me a note. I’m cheering you on!