12 Gulps Might Radically Change Your Year
Why Adding Uncertainty Could Be Exactly What You Need
As many of you know, last July, I finished my 52 Gulps.
Fifty-two steps outside my comfort zone to make the area beyond it more familiar. And by being more familiar, it would reduce the barriers to go there more often – the barriers of fear, uncertainty and sometimes simply the effort required to get off the couch!
I got so much out of those 52 Gulps. All the things I got to do and experience, concentrated into a short space of time. I would have missed out enormously if I hadn’t done them.
This year I’m doing it again, but at a more manageable pace:
12 Gulps in 12 Months, and I’m inviting you to join me.
You may well already have your goals for 2026 in place, and hopefully, they include ones that’ll stretch you. Even if you do, I reckon there might be room for some more...a few steps into the unknown and uncertain.
With so much uncertainty, why add to it?
In an increasingly chaotic world, we’re swimming in so much uncertainty that it feels like we’re navigating rapids with one ‘once in a lifetime event’ after another. It’s uncertainty not of our choosing. So why add to it?
At first glance, it’s a fair question. Why seek uncertainty when so much already feels beyond our control? The instinct to minimise risk and uncertainty is deeply human. In increasingly unpredictable environments, the natural response is to narrow our world: stick to the familiar and reduce exposure.
Unchosen uncertainty tends to make us feel passive. Things are happening to us. We are reacting, bracing, enduring. On the surface, this looks like self-protection, but over time, this can shrink our sense of agency and quietly erode confidence.
Chosen uncertainty works differently.
When we deliberately step out of our comfort zone and into uncertainty, while the outcomes are unknown, we are in the driving seat, and the results change. Our confidence grows, along with self-efficacy and adaptability. Things might not always work out, and through that, we can shift our relationship with failure. We become antifragile.
Choosing to get out of our comfort zone doesn’t mean seeking chaos or piling pressure onto an already overwhelmed life. It doesn’t mean reckless leaps or unnecessary suffering.
From vague advice to a plan
While the concept might make sense, being advised to ‘get out of our comfort zone’ can be a throwaway line rather than a usable strategy. When life is already full, it can feel abstract and unrealistic.
This is where the idea of a series of Gulps comes in.
First is to come up with some ideas. My suggestion is to come up with lots of ideas under various categories. You’re not committing to them, or under any pressure to do them. It’s just brainstorming and getting creative.
This isn’t all white-knuckle, stomach-turning undertakings. They can be fun! Give yourself the freedom to write a list of all the things you'd love to do, achieve or experience, unencumbered by time restrictions, money or practicality. There’s no need to rush this. Spend some time coming up with ideas. Just make sure they are things that will make you Gulp, even if it’s just a little.
Here are some suggested categories.
Sports: sports you haven’t tried, or there’s some kind of new element
Creativity and Hobbies: anything from cooking classes, to painting, to writing poetry
Experiences and Adrenaline: from simply trying a new cuisine through to heart-pumping sky diving
Physical Challenge: something physically demanding you’ll need to prepare for
Shake things up: a change in diet, a new route to work, a 30-day challenge, a new look
Educational: things to learn, skills to acquire, certifications to gain
Work/professional: whether in your current role, something different, or a side hustle
Social: either with people you know or friends you’ve yet to meet
Performing: lights, camera, action – improv, stand-up comedy, acting classes
Facing fear: what are some fears you have you could face?
Giving back: it could be your time, money, expertise, or even something like donating blood
Travel and Adventure: places to visit and exciting things to do
Next, create a short list from the ideas you’ve come up with. Pick out 12, one for each month. The list may change as the year goes on, but it’s good to have a starting point.
Finally, pick the first one and lock it in!
If you’d like some ideas or support in creating the list, get in touch. I’m happy to help.
Be sure to milk it!
This is about extracting everything you can from these Gulps.
Each time we do something uncomfortable and move on without acknowledging it, we leave nuggets of gold on the table. Once you’ve completed each Gulp, add it to the Cookie Jar. This concept is from David Goggins - it’s everything achieved, big or small.
The fears faced, obstacles overcome. It is the evidence bank of all the hard things you’ve done and lessons learned. When doubt shows up, we’re no longer relying on positive thinking, or worst still, backing down.
Extract everything you can out of each Gulp. It can be held mentally, digitally or written. When facing a difficult situation, you can dip into your Cookie Jar to remind yourself of your strength and the things you've overcome. It’s a source of fuel.
Things to consider:
What did you do and when?
What happened? Focus on your physical and emotional reactions, what you said to yourself, and what you did before, during, and after.
Did anything surprise you?
If things didn’t go to plan, what are the lessons to take forward?
Will you do this again? Or take it further?
Based on the reflections and any learnings, what do you want to remember, focus on, take forward?
From small gulps to big ideas
Choose growth over comfort, not all the time, but often enough to keep yourself evolving. When we regularly stretch ourselves, we expand what feels possible. Smaller challenges recalibrate our internal sense of scale. Over time, this naturally leads to bigger ideas and goals.
When we regularly step out of our comfort zone and embrace the unknown, our tolerance for uncertainty increases. When it’s low, we optimise for predictability and our lives can become small and tightly controlled. We avoid risk. We stay close to the edges of what we already know. The upside is short-term comfort; the cost is potential long-term stagnation.
If our tolerance is higher, our lives expand. We say yes to opportunities with unknown outcomes. We experiment. We pursue things even when the path isn’t clear. We don’t eliminate fear, we simply stop letting it make decisions.
As our tolerance for uncertainty and discomfort builds, so does our self-efficacy, the belief in our ability to handle things. We are better set up to deal with the uncertainty forced on us with agility, confidence and less anxiety as we face things outside of our control.
Are you in?
