Imagine this scenario: Amber stumbled on a podcast interview with someone who flew themselves to and around the Bahamas in a rented plane. She expected it to be about beaches and sunsets but when she listened, it wasn’t focused on those things at all. The episode had all the thrill, chase, and dramatic tension of any good story, but in a completely unexpected way. Those elements came from the rule-finding and rule-following parts of the logistics.

It turns out the process of flying your own plane from the U.S. to the Bahamas and back requires all sorts of hoop-jumping. There are numerous logins that need to be created. There are many nominal fees to be paid (e.g., for radio licenses). There are very precise procedures that have to be followed exactly, including how you notify US border authorities of your planned return.

The story the podcast told was that pulling off this mission wasn’t about a spirit of adventure in a stereotypical sense. It was about diligence. Beaches, oceans, and sunsets were barely mentioned, though they were clearly part of the reward.

What’s the point of this story? The strengths required to be adventurous aren’t what they first seem. A large variety of skills and talents can contribute. Let’s unpack five lesser-known steps in becoming more adventurous.

1. Identify Which of Your Existing Strengths Will Contribute

Adventures need to be conceived, planned, and carried out. Each phase draws on different strengths.

For example, a tendency to follow research rabbit holes could help you conceive of unusual adventures. If you’re good at gathering evidence and presenting a case, that might help get permission or others on board. Persistence and anticipating what could go wrong are obvious advantages. Even traits typically seen as negative, like stubbornness or a touch of narcissism, might play a positive role.

The more of your strengths and traits a particular adventure draws on, the more unique it’s likely to be, the more you’re likely to learn about yourself, and the more potential it has to propel you forward in your overall personal development.

2. Take Physical Actions Before You’re Mentally Committed

In my book, Stress-Free Productivity, I tell the story of buying my house. I’d started visiting open houses as a tourist activity somewhere that’s famous for a particular architectural style, but where I couldn’t afford the houses. Then I visited another city briefly and noticed how cheap houses were there (it was 2014). Soon after, I told my spouse I wanted to go back and buy one.

Neither buying a house nor the location had been in my plans. But action leads to more action. Our thoughts get dragged along.

This pull is hard to resist. You can catch an adventure bug based on only a few initial actions.

3. Distinguish Between Adventure and Adventure Clichés

You may think you have little interest in being adventurous because you’re not interested in adventure clichés. Some forms can feel boring or contrived because of their popularity. For example, moving to Bali, Thailand, or Portugal as a digital nomad. Or running every World Marathon Major. Or climbing the vertical distance equivalent to summiting Everest. These types of adventures tend to be escapist or a physical challenge.

An adventure that supports your other core goals or brings you closer to loved ones might be more appealing to you.

The better you know yourself and the more opportunities you’ve already had to sample different forms of adventure, the more likely you are to want to deviate from the stereotypes.

4. Improve Your Creativity at Conceiving of Adventures

Earlier, I pointed out that adventures need to be conceived, planned, and carried out. You might recognize that you’re good at planning or execution but less creative in conceiving ideas.

Treat conceiving of adventures that appeal to you as a test of your creativity. Don’t chase weirdness or uniqueness for the sake of those things. Consider how personalization would make an adventure more enjoyable, challenge you, and support your broader life goals.

To extend your creativity beyond its current boundaries, wherever your thought process goes, try taking it one step further. For example, if you’ve thought of an adventure that requires a skill set only 1 in 100 people have, try nudging that idea until it requires a skill set only 1 in 1,000 or 1 in 10,000 people have. Or, combine three of your interests, not just two.

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5. Treat Adventure as Part of Your Broader Personal Development

Let’s circle back to our Bahamas example. That pilot probably came back a more confident and competent aviator. Maybe he caught the adventure bug and it got him thinking about more international trips or ways to extend himself as a pilot.

Or, perhaps it attracted him to other adventures that require hoop jumping or dealing with governments to pull off.

When we follow our nose in pursuing something that interests us, it often pays off in ways we didn’t expect. What we expected to be the highlight or the main thing we got out of the endeavor is often superseded by something else.

You Don’t Need to Fit a Stereotype to be Adventurous

Let’s come back to Amber, our podcast listener. She might not be flying a plane around the Bahamas any time soon, but the exposure to the story got her thinking about adventures she’d like to have. Like Amber, once you go beyond the stereotypes, you’ll notice you’re more suited to adventure than you think. Your existing strengths (even the boring ones) can all contribute. Action can pull you forward before you’re ready. Personalization can help you discover adventures that enrich you at the point in your life you’re currently at, wherever that is. You don’t always need to know where an adventure will lead or how it will help you grow, but you can expect it will.