This months theme: Novelty in the Local
Novel experiences don’t have to be large, expensive, or far away. We can start our search by sticking close to home.
“Novelty in the Local” is January 2026’s 30-day challenge for the Novelty Experiment
Finding novelty in the things already in your community can be an easy way to start shifting your mindset to search for novelty.
That could be your street, your city, your state, or your “third place” group. Novelty doesn't have to be large, expensive, or far-away, which is why we're starting with local. The opportunities to do things that are out of the norm are all around us.
When we're stuck in autopilot with the same commute, same routine, same weekend plans, we stop noticing the world around us. We stop being present. And when we're not present, we can't build the kind of community, connection, and joy that makes life feel full. Novelty isn't about collecting experiences. It's about practicing the skill of paying attention to your life.
That’s why January’s challenge is starting at home, where ever that is for you.
So let's start where you are. Week one of the challenge: Make a list of potential local novelty experiences you can try at some point in January.
There are lots of ways that we can search for a novel experience in our local communities:
Look at local newspapers or publishing sites
Tourism boards (most towns and cities have event calendars)
Search the name of your city or area into a social media search bar and see which account populate who are already offering ideas of things to do
Ask someone. It could be a friend, barista, bartender, server, shop owner… anyone might have something to share.
But it can be even more simple. You can also decide to make a list of things you do all the time, and ideate on how to make it something new, unusual, or interesting. Here’s a couple examples:
Go on daily walks? Try doing a novel thing on your walk like picking a color to look for the entire time and counting how many things you see with that color.
Daily commute? Ask a friend for a podcast episode that they particularly loved, or an album they secretly are obsessed with and listen to it on your way to and from. Or don’t listen to anything and see where your mind goes.
Cooking meals? Pick a random ingredient at the store that you’ve never cooked with/seen before and experiment with it once you get home, trying to make something with it.
Novelty is about intention as much as it is about what you do. There’s more than enough interesting things that can be done in your local community, if you’re looking for it.
What are you thinking about doing? Is there something interesting that immediately comes to mind?
Talk soon,
Rachel
Leadership trainer, novelty junkie, and human being
P.s. Do you want to hear more about what exactly this novelty experiment is? Check out this post and read more in-depth about the Novelty Experiment.
CREW CONTENT
Below, we’ll explore:
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Join the Novelty Club!
I'm doing 100 novel experiences this year to learn what it means to be human-centric at work and at home.
Join me on the adventures by becoming part of the Novelty Club, and get behind-the-scenes information, special invitations, access to join me in 30-day challenges, and more!
Preview My January Plans:
I’m pretty excited about my January theme, and have already planned some of the ways I’m going to be experimenting with novelty.
Success in the experiment is all about planning. Here are the things I’m already looking forward to that will explore local novel experiences:
Big birthday bash with all of my friends from all different areas of my life (read my post about turning 40 to see how I feel about this one)
Wine tour of a local restaurants cellar collection
Hushpuppy tour
Local scavenger hunt
Trying a new trail
Bakery pop up for my neighbors
“Color” walk (I’m going to do it too!)
Exploring a local historical site
Cookie exchange and run club with my soccer team
“3rd Friday” downtown event festivities
Of course, there’s so much I can’t predict about what else I might find this month! Stay tuned for my reviews of the events on socials (TikTok and Instagram), along with what other interesting things I stumble into in the weeks to come.
More Ideas for Your Own Novelty Experiment
As Club members, I want to make sure you’re able to start thinking about all the ways you can find novelty locally. Here’s a longer list of ideas to get your wheels turning:
Visit the oldest building, tree, or landmark in your neighborhood and learn its story
Try every coffee shop, bakery, or taco spot within a 10-block radius
Attend a city council or community board meeting
Find the highest point accessible in your area and watch the sunset from there
Strike up a conversation with someone at your local farmer's market about what they're buying and buy one of their recommendations
Go to a Little League game, high school play, or community theater production
Visit your local library's special collections or attend a random program
Take yourself on a "tourist day" in your own city, and only do the things visitors do
Join a historical walking tour led by a local expert
Visit a pick-your-own farm for whatever's in season
Sit in a park for an hour without your phone and just observe
Try the "hole in the wall" restaurant that's been there forever but you've never entered
Volunteer for a one-time event (park cleanup, food bank, festival setup, etc.)
Attend a protest, march, or community action event for something you care about
Become a regular at one place, like the same coffee shop, same day/time each week
Start conversations with your neighbors
Go birding in a local park with a free app like Merlin (hello Millennials…)
Find and identify five native plants in your area
Attend a workshop at a hardware store, craft store, or REI
Go to an open mic night (or perform at one)
Visit every park in your area and pick a favorite (or if you have kids, the playground)
Create a scavenger hunt for a friend based on neighborhood landmarks
Take photos of interesting doors, signs, or architectural details on your street, aiming for 10 cool things
Remember: The key is that these aren't destinations or a one-size-fits-all. They're invitations to pay attention differently to what's already around you.
Thanks for joining me on my search for novelty and one human-centric leaders's journey towards a more balanced life.
