In all my 40 years, I had never successfully blended social circles.

I'm apparently a butterfly friend- a social extrovert who loves frequent, but varied, interactions. I just learned there are other types of friends (fireflies, evergreens, wallflowers), but butterfly fits: I flutter between worlds, maintaining deep connections across communities that have never actually met.

Being a butterfly would finally explain that while I have a vast network of friends, they've never met. Most butterflies are known for surface-level flitting. Where I deviate from the standard flittery friend, is that those relationships go deep. Decades deep.

The new decade, and this new year of… well.. new, felt like something worth celebrating.

It is worth celebrating.

First, having successfully gotten into 40 years of life feels monumental all on its own. Second, having enough friends from enough areas of life experiences to be able to call them together is indeed luxury.

Many people, many my own friends, struggle to even develop a handful of committed and invested individuals, as life gets difficult, families get large, or moving makes connection harder. I have been fortunate to be blessed with the gift of community.

With all of my people present, novelty was celebrated as much as my birthday. It was a central topic of conversation, already seeing how my journey is pulling in others, having them noticing more novel ideas, volunteering to join me, or wanting to cheer me on.

Just the act of noticing encouraged more novel ideation.

For me, the Novelty Experiment has already started to shape my view of 2026.

I have seen the opportunities, the excitement, and already the small little things that bring new and interesting possibilities. An unusual grocery store I’ve never been to, a dish I had never known existed, a connection that would not have been if I had been running my typical five minutes late.

One choice leads to another.

It’s a choice to look for novelty. And novelty is so much easier to find once you’re looking.

In the last week, I’ve started all my official plans for what novel experiences I would have this month, but I am pleased to see that I already have several under my belt. 

Including the biggest metamorphosis a butterfly can make: letting the whole community watch while you transform.

That's what novelty does. It doesn't just change what you do, it changes who you're willing to become, and who you're willing to let see it.

Talk soon,

Rachel
Leadership trainer, novelty junkie, and human being

P.S. Want to see what led me to this? Check out this post and read more in-depth about the Novelty Experiment.

Thanks for joining me on my search for novelty and one human-centric leaders's journey towards a more balanced life.