1. Draw a circle on a piece of paper. Imagine inside this circle all the possibilities for enriching your life: all your talents developed, your passions explored, your curiosities satisfied.

2. What about all the things you’ve thought about trying but haven’t—a new recipe, a Pilates class, or even just a new way to organize your paperwork? Inside the large circle, draw another to represent those.

3. Now think of all that you have actually experienced so far in your life, all that you know you can do, all that you know you enjoy. In the center of the circle, draw another to represent those experiences.

OK, here’s what we do, not because we’re not smart, but because we’re human: We stay inside that center circle; we live there. If someone says, “Hey, why don’t you take up tennis?” we say, “Oh no, really not the athletic type — never have been, never will be.” Or if someone says, “There’s a man I’d like you to meet; he’s a musician,” we say, “You know, I never had any luck with musicians. I think I’ll pass.”

Now look at that great band around the outside of the circle. That’s where you want to be — out there seeking experiences you haven’t even considered that could enrich your life. That’s where the juice is; that’s where fulfillment lies. Making that leap can be scary. So here’s what you do: First step out of that inner circle into the middle band, the experiences you’ve thought about but haven’t tried. Use these experiences as a warm-up. That’s step 2!