Select any three of the options below and set out to accomplish them within the next calendar year. The life experience you acquire will not only be eye-opening; it will lend you credibility in the eyes of followers _ and allow you to relate fascinating anecdotes for a lifetime.
_ Do something physically dubious. Hike for 10 days in the back country, swim with the sharks in Australia, kayak down a river where the rapids can get greedy. Push your body to the limit to see what it feels like to get close to total exhaustion and even a little danger.
_ Publish something. Technology has vastly simplified _ and made pretty much free of charge _ the process of self-publishing and selling a book no visibly different from any you'd buy at Barnes & Noble. It's time to commit your deepest thoughts to paper by writing on the topic you know the best, or maybe even cranking out that novel you always dreamed of.
_ Get heavily involved in a team sport. Experience what competition among the bloodthirsty is all about. There are rec leagues that take what they do very seriously indeed _ find one and dive in. It can put you into an edgy, goal-oriented mindset even during days when no games are scheduled.
_ Retrace someone's steps. Pick a historical figure you admire and jump into their shoes for several days, or track the course of a famous journey. This will give you a better perspective on what other leaders must have gone through to make their mark.
_Travel someplace no one you know has been to. Ask someone where they went on vacation, and you tend to hear the usual postcard stories. Here's your chance to make jaws drop by visiting a place where those stories will all be fresh and intriguing.
_ Get intensely knowledgeable on one subject. It could be backgammon, the Civil War or the art of candle making. Impress people with acumen that comes only from long, intense study. They'll be impressed by the commitment and passion it took to know so much.
_ Give money away. Not a traditional charitable donation where you receive proper tax credit and a letter of thanks. Give to a random person in need without hanging around waiting for a word of appreciation, or donate anonymously to an overlooked organization _ and give enough so that it makes a real dent in your finances in order to understand the full power of selfless sacrifice.
_ Go without. Few of us, blessed with a lifestyle we cling to, can authoritatively tell others what it's really like to be hungry, poor, homeless or lost without a compass. Try it for a week and you'll never be the same.
_ Go among people who live wildly different lives. We tend to stay close to those who are at the same socioeconomic level or have the same types of daily experiences. But living among monks, sailors, poets or heck, even nudists will change your perspective dramatically.
_ Be suddenly young. If you've long since given up dancing at late-night clubs, going to Burning Man or sleeping on the beach while living out of a van, reclaim your crazy roots for a brief time. It'll remind you of what it was like to seek out new experiences that didn't necessarily improve your career or your finances; they represented reckless escapes and unpredictable discoveries.
