try something weird on groupon

when was the last time you did something for the first time? not trying a new restaurant or watching a new show. something genuinely new. something where you had no idea what you were doing, felt slightly ridiculous, and did it anyway.

if you're struggling to remember, that's the problem.

the novelty deficit

adult life is a routine factory. you wake up at the same time, drive the same route, eat the same lunches, and do the same activities on weekends. your brain has optimized everything for efficiency, which is great for productivity and terrible for aliveness.

novelty is the antidote. new experiences create new neural pathways, trigger dopamine release, and make time feel like it's passing more slowly (in a good way). that's why childhood summers felt endless - everything was new.

the groupon hack

groupon's activities section is a goldmine of weird, accessible experiences you'd never think to seek out on your own. the discount framing removes the financial barrier, and the sheer variety removes the "i don't know what to try" barrier.

scroll through and look for things that make you think "huh, that's weird" or "i'd never do that." those are exactly the ones to book.

some possibilities:

• trapeze class - yes, the circus kind. swinging through the air and catching a bar changes your relationship with fear in about 30 seconds
• archery - surprisingly meditative and immediately addictive
• pottery or glassblowing - creating something physical with your hands hits different than anything digital
• paintball - controlled chaos that makes you feel like a kid again
• pub crawl or food tour - explore parts of your own city you've never visited
• axe throwing - exactly as satisfying as it sounds

why the "weird" factor matters

the weirder the activity feels, the more you'll get from it. familiar activities reinforce existing neural pathways. unfamiliar ones create new ones. and the activities that feel slightly uncomfortable or ridiculous build a specific muscle: the willingness to be a beginner.

most adults hate being beginners. they avoid anything they can't immediately be good at. this keeps them trapped in a shrinking world of things they already know how to do.

the assignment

open groupon right now. find one activity you've never done before. book it for this weekend. don't overthink it. don't talk yourself out of it. just click buy and figure out the rest later.

the goal isn't to discover a new hobby (though you might). the goal is to remind your brain what novelty feels like. once you remember, you'll start seeking it everywhere.

if this resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear it.