New Hobbies, New Routes and New Recipes: Why Confidence Needs New Experiences
- Rachel Amies
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Thought For The Week
A few months ago, I wrote about the importance of repetition.
In a world that encourages us to chase novelty — new trends, new ideas, new experiences — I argued that lasting change is often much less exciting. Usually, it comes from returning to the same habits and the same principles, over and over again.
I still believe that's true.
But there’s another side to this.
While constantly changing direction can slow our progress, staying inside the familiar for too long can limit us in a different way.
Imagine your comfort zone as a circle.
Inside that circle are all the things that feel familiar. The routines you know, the places you've been, the exercises you've practised, the recipes you can cook without thinking, the conversations that come easily.
Every time you try something new, you gently push the edge of that circle outwards. At first it feels uncertain or even intimidating. But over time, what once felt unfamiliar becomes another thing you know you can do.
That's how confidence grows — by gradually making more of the world feel familiar.
As children and young adults, we're constantly nudging the edges of our circle outwards. New schools, new friendships, learning to drive, first jobs, travelling, relationships... life naturally asks us to step into the unfamiliar and, in doing so, we keep collecting evidence that we're capable.
As we get older though, life often becomes more settled. We find routines that work, places we enjoy, hobbies we know, and people we're comfortable with.
There's value in that. But if we stop stretching the edges of our circle, our comfort zone can feel like it’s starting to shrink. The edges seem more rigid, and everything beyond them seems further away.
That exercise class you've thought about trying.
The solo trip you've been putting off.
The hobby you've always been curious about.
The conversation you've been avoiding.
None of these things have become objectively harder. We just don’t feel as confident because we've stopped testing the edges.
Confidence isn't something we build once and keep forever. Like strength, it needs maintaining.
So every now and then, it’s worth nudging the edges of your comfort zone. Not by doing anything reckless or overwhelming, but simply by choosing something a little unfamiliar.
It might just remind you what you're capable of.
Exercise Focus
One of the things I love most about fitness is that it's one of the places in life where we can safely practise being just a little uncomfortable.
Unlike many situations, we get to choose the size of the challenge.
Learning a new exercise.
Picking up a slightly heavier weight.
Walking into a class for the first time.
Trying a different route on your run.
Asking someone for help.
None of these are particularly dramatic, but each one asks us to nudge the edges of our comfort zone.
And every time we do, we're usually left with a sense of pride, accomplishment... and something else too: possibility.
Because we don't just think, I managed that.
We think, Maybe I'm capable of more than I realised.
Possibility is a powerful feeling because it's no longer just about the squat, the run, or the new exercise. It’s about how we see ourselves more broadly.
Maybe I could sign up for that class.
Maybe I could apply for that job.
Maybe I could book that trip.
Maybe I could have that difficult conversation.
Exercise doesn't just make us stronger. Every now and then, it reminds us that what's possible is more than we thought.
Nutrition Focus
Food offers many more opportunities for adventure than we probably realise.
That doesn't mean we have to eat insects or force down foods we genuinely don’t like.
It might just mean buying a vegetable you've never cooked before.
Trying a different cut of meat.
Ordering something different.
Trying a recipe from another part of the world.
Visiting a new café.
Again, nothing dramatic, just a gentle nudge at the edges of your circle.
Because it isn’t really about the food. It's about what happens when we become curious.
If I enjoyed that...
…what else might I enjoy?
If I was wrong about that...
…what else might I be wrong about?
It's the food equivalent of Maybe I'm capable of more than I realised.
One unfamiliar ingredient can lead you to another cuisine, another cookbook, another market, or another conversation.
Curiosity has a habit of leading us somewhere unexpected. And sometimes the smallest adventures are enough to remind us that life is still full of things we haven't discovered yet.
Explore More
From the archive: Familiarity vs Possibility: Why We Become More Reluctant to Try New Things explores why new experiences can start to feel more daunting as we get older, and how stepping just beyond what feels familiar can help us rediscover a sense of curiosity and possibility.
Book: Adventure Mind by Belinda Kirk explores what happens when we introduce more adventure into our lives, and how stepping into new experiences can help build confidence, resilience and a greater sense of possibility.
Recipe: These San Choy Bao are one of my favourite ways to mix up the usual midweek rotation. They're fresh, crunchy, full of flavour, and a nice reminder of just how many possibilities there are when we venture beyond the handful of meals we cook on repeat.
Takeaway
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