If you have enjoyed this book, you could help me a great deal by: Leaving a review on Amazon. This is so helpful. Sharing a photo of the book cover on social media. Use the hashtag #TheDoorstepMile. Giving your copy to someone who might benefit from it. Thank you. If you’d like to follow me online you can: Sign up for the Living Adventurously and Shouting from the Shed newsletters on my website. Follow me on social media: @al_humphreys Subscribe on YouTube: search for Alastair Humphreys Visit al...
Apr 05, 2020•3 min•Ep. 54
The Death Clock You have decided that you want to live more adventurously. You've got a head full of exciting ideas. You even know what your Doorstep Mile action is. But you can't begin it today, because you're tired. Actually, all of this week is pretty busy, so maybe it's best to wait until the first of the month to kick-start it. 'New month, new me!' The trouble is that next month, and the one after that, you will still be tired and busy. This is my final attempt to shake you into action, to ...
Apr 04, 2020•3 min•Ep. 53
Beginnings * I felt nervous and longed to change my mind. A clock ticked and tocked on the mantelpiece. The small office smelled of magnolia paint and aftershave. I felt nervous because the first year of my teaching career had gone well, and this dramatic change in direction was not a sensible career decision. That small moment in that everyday setting was the beginning of a radical new trajectory for me. 'I am sorry, but I have decided to leave.' 'Oh dear. Where are you going?' 'The South Pole....
Apr 03, 2020•3 min•Ep. 52
Dust off your violin After many years of cajoling myself towards an adventurous life, I had a pretty solid grasp of what I was looking for. All I needed to do was get on with it. But if adventure is about uncertainty and risk, there comes a point when more of the same no longer counts as living adventurously. I had ended up in a comfort zone, even if it involved deserts and wild places. It was time to change direction. For many years my favourite travel book had been As I Walked Out One Midsumme...
Apr 02, 2020•8 min•Ep. 51
Ten lessons from the road We are amongst the most fortunate people who have ever lived. What excuse do we have not to try to maximise our potential and our opportunities in an adventurous, worthwhile, fulfilling life? The times I have rolled the dice and gone big with my dreams have always turned out to be fascinating, informative experiences. You learn so much about the world and yourself when you step out your front door and dare yourself to have a look around. Here then are ten lessons from t...
Apr 01, 2020•2 min•Ep. 50
The habit calendar Books about habit forming usually refer to well-worn examples of incremental improvement and compound interest. 'Improve by 1% a day, and in just one year you will be a 3678% samurai ninja hunky millionaire!' There is no denying the power of accumulated marginal gains. Increase your daily run by a minute per day, and you'll soon be running for miles. Save £20 a week, and you'll be able to afford a £1000 adventure in a year. If you have a good idea, write a short blog post ever...
Mar 31, 2020•4 min•Ep. 49
The accumulation of daily habits You might (or you might not!) wake up during a particularly pointless conference call with the bright idea of running a 150-mile ultramarathon in the Sahara Desert. Unfortunately, accomplishing such a feat is a galaxy away considering your current fitness. The idea of a finisher's medal around your neck is ridiculous. That's why it is a 'dream' not a 'plan'. The gulf between where we are now and where we dream of is often too wide to leap in one bound. Because th...
Mar 30, 2020•5 min•Ep. 48
To be rather than to seem Esse quam videri is a pithy, challenging phrase from Cicero. It translates as ‘to be, rather than to seem’. It flew on Birdie Bowers’ sledging pennant as he trekked to the South Pole with Captain Scott. Birdie was one of the most impressive, genuine humans I have ever read about. I use esse quam videri as an opportunity to turn the mirror on myself from time to time and ask myself some questions. Am I a runner? But do I actually run? Often and far and fast? Or do I just...
Mar 29, 2020•3 min•Ep. 47
Type 2 fun Mud. Up to my knees. And rain. Heavy rain. A long day trudging with a heavy rucksack, head down, shoulders hunched against the cold wind. The only good thing about today was that it would eventually end. I was trekking across the lunar highlands of Iceland towards the Hofsjökull glacier. My friend Chris and I were alone in the wilderness, carrying a month’s supplies on our backs. We had endured wading icy rivers and crossing lava fields that bruised our feet, but this evening’s mud wa...
Mar 28, 2020•6 min•Ep. 46
Push, push, push I'm 15 years old, cycling across England with two school friends. We get lost and end up on the summit of Great Gable (the 10th highest peak in England: stupid lost!). I wipe away tears and carry my heavy bike down what feels like an eternity of scree slopes. It's hard, we're lost, and I'm much slower than the others. I don't think I can do it. I'm 18 years old, driving into a place unlike anything I've seen in all my life. A rough town of shabby homes, bullet holes in the walls...
Mar 27, 2020•4 min•Ep. 45
Progress or success This final section of the book encourages you not to get going and keep going. It also urges you to aim bigger and bolder than you might naturally be inclined to do. I find it harder to do this when I judge myself against the yardstick of ‘Success’ [measured against a goal post or other people] rather than ‘Progress’ [measured against my past self]. While my ego used to want to compete with other people, I have learned that this is a pointless race, a recipe for resentment an...
Mar 26, 2020•3 min•Ep. 44
5-to-9 thinking One warm summer evening after work, why don’t you go on an adventure instead of flopping in front of the TV? When you leave work at 5pm, you have 16 hours of glorious freedom before you need to be back at your desk again. What adventures could you have in that time? My mind instantly turns to open space and the outdoors, but your choice might be very different. What would you go and do? The 9-to-5, convention dictates, imposes a lot of restrictions on us. It prevents us from livi...
Mar 25, 2020•7 min•Ep. 43
Microadventures As my own attempts to live adventurously evolved from jumping on planes to distant continents, I began to develop the idea of microadventures. They have been part of my effort to learn to look for the opportunities amongst the constraints of life. I never imagined how helpful the principal would be for me, both in the literal sense of squeezing exercise and fresh air around the margins of my days, but also as a metaphor to help with everything I do. I had become more aware of how...
Mar 24, 2020•5 min•Ep. 42
The Doorstep Mile revisited The Doorstep Mile is so critical that I’m going to end this part with a plea for you not to skim over taking action on it. I firmly believe that the Doorstep Mile is the secret to making something more adventurous happen in your life. It might be buying a plane ticket, buying a map or buying a friend a coffee to chat about an idea. In my case, it often seems to be as mundane as sending an email. Simple, right? Do you agree? Do you now feel that getting started on your...
Mar 23, 2020•2 min•Ep. 41
Simple but not easy The best adventures are simple. Simple but not easy. There is a subtle difference between the words. Writing a book is simple: sit down and write a thousand words every day for several months. Walking across India is simple: keep heading towards the sunset every day. Watching TV every evening is easy. Whatever you are planning, keep it as simple as possible. But don’t make it easy. Don’t settle. You are invited to the party. Now it is time to show up and dance. OVER TO YOU: W...
Mar 22, 2020•59 sec•Ep. 40
The jump It is a hot summer’s day. The sparkling river below is enticing. You’d love to take the plunge. It would feel glorious in there – so much better than being stuck here, hot and bothered like everyone else. But rather than leaping in, you remain on the riverbank feeling nervous. Vulnerable. You think to yourself, ‘What if it’s cold?’ You mop your brow and fret, ‘Oh, respectable people like me shouldn’t be doing stuff like this.’ You clutch tightly at the towel around your body, unwilling ...
Mar 21, 2020•4 min•Ep. 39
It is as easy as this Making the commitment to take the Doorstep Mile is difficult psychologically. But that first step is, practically speaking, almost absurdly easy. Adventure is as easy as this. Leave work. Meet up with friends. Head out of town. Watch the sunset. Sleep under the stars. Swim in a river. Head back to work. Being creative is as easy as this. Work out what you like making, reading, watching or hearing. Make it. Make more of it, but different, better and more personal. Starting a...
Mar 20, 2020•2 min•Ep. 38
Sliding doors An innocuous decision can set off a ripple effect that changes your life, like the butterfly effect or a sliding doors moment. One choice, two directions for your life. Scene: The kitchen table, rain falling It would be wonderful to take good photographs. I’d love to capture the memories of my daughter growing up and our lovely holidays together. I can’t afford a big camera. I’m not artistic. My photos are always rubbish. The End. Scene: The kitchen table, windows open and birds si...
Mar 19, 2020•2 min•Ep. 37
Mojo plus one I was once part of a team planning, training and fund-raising for an expedition to the South Pole. It was going to be a cracking adventure. I loved the guys I was working with. I was stronger than I had ever been in my life. I would be able to write a fabulous book afterwards. They were exciting times. But the expedition bank account was empty. We failed to secure enough sponsorship, and the expedition had to be postponed. Season after season the funding deadline came and went. Aft...
Mar 18, 2020•8 min•Ep. 36
Ready, fire, aim It took years of dreaming and then eight months of proper planning before I set off on my first adventure. Once I was underway, cycling eastwards into a crisp European autumn, it dawned on me that all I was doing was going for a bike ride and a camping trip. What had all the fuss been about? You need a bike, a tent, a map, a passport and some cash. That’s about it. Pedal until you’re tired, then camp for the night. Repeat the process 1500 times, and you’ll be done. Consider how ...
Mar 17, 2020•4 min•Ep. 35
The time will never be perfect When you are young, you're too young. When you're old, you are too old. When you are broke, you can't afford it. When you have a little money, you want a little more. Before you begin, you have no idea what you are doing and need to learn more. Before you begin, you have no momentum. And there will always be one more item on the To-Do list before you are ready. Simply put, it is never the perfect time to begin. And so we kick the can of our cherished but elusive dr...
Mar 16, 2020•3 min•Ep. 34
Beginnings Mon, 24 Dec 2007, 21:08 From: Alastair To: Ben Subject: SOUTH Hi Ben, Having a wonderful time in Hawaii - been out whale watching and running this morning. But I can't stop thinking about my future expeditions. So I decided to write and ask in all seriousness if I can join your SOUTH team? I am writing because I will regret it if I do not, but also because you know me well enough to be able to say 'No!' without embarrassment or worry...! Look forward to chatting in the New Year when I...
Mar 15, 2020•3 min•Ep. 33
Dear Mr Walker Pedalling away my front door was a big moment. But my most pivotal Doorstep Mile, the one where I truly summoned up the nerve to do what I really wanted to do, had come months earlier. The moment I committed to living adventurously happened sitting at a desk. It arrived amongst the rush and noise of Biology lessons and lunchtime duties at a secondary school near Oxford. I was a trainee teacher taking my first steps on an interesting, satisfying career ladder. A respectable job, mo...
Mar 14, 2020•2 min•Ep. 32
Going for a bike ride I am often asked, ‘what is the hardest thing you have ever done?’ Generally, they want to hear me boast of hauling a heavy cart through the Empty Quarter desert or battling to put up a tent in freezing temperatures. These things are difficult. Uncomfortable, too. But, honestly, they are not life-changingly difficult. There is only one adventurous act which has significantly altered the direction of my life. One warm summer morning, I climbed onto my bicycle and went for a r...
Mar 13, 2020•2 min•Ep. 31
The Doorstep Mile It is often only a small jump that stands between where we are and where we want to be. Leaping from a high rock into a sunlit river, asking for a pay rise or speaking to the attractive stranger who keeps catching your eye. But it can be so hard to act even when we know that one small step is all it takes. Why do we do this to ourselves? And does everyone struggle the same way? (Short answer: yes.) When I begin an expedition, I do not stand on the start line beating my chest wi...
Mar 12, 2020•6 min•Ep. 30
An invitation to the party A company once invited me to their offices to give a talk about my favourite books. They suggested I talk for half an hour or so about six books I loved. It was a literary version of Desert Island Discs. It sounded interesting as well as a deliciously hard selection to make. I like books. I’ve read more than six. I’m quite happy about giving talks. I replied, ‘hell yeah!’ So why did I feel unusually nervous on my way to the event? I was worried because I was not an exp...
Mar 11, 2020•5 min•Ep. 30
The imposter syndrome The majority of bold ideas are extinguished by nothing more than the top two inches of our heads – our brains. The whole world is waiting if only we can overcome the space between our ears and get out there. Often the biggest challenge of all is persuading ourselves to enter the race in the first place. We write ourselves off before we have even tried because we think we do not belong. Welcome to the Imposter Syndrome! This is an excellent time to debunk the myth that writi...
Mar 10, 2020•8 min•Ep. 29
I choose not to Here are a few things I have said to myself. I can't spare time to head to the hills. I can't afford this adventure. I can't go to the gym. I can't begin writing a book yet. Do these sort of problems sound familiar? If so, here's an experiment to try. Instead of saying, 'I don't have the time to do this', say – out loud – the same phrase but beginning with 'I choose not to'. I choose not to use my time to head to the hills. I choose not to spend my money on this adventure. I choo...
Mar 09, 2020•3 min•Ep. 28
When Harry met Harry You probably have a friend like Harry from the last chapter. The one whose life conundrums you have dissected over a thousand bottles of wine. From your side of the table, the changes they should make are so apparent (‘Dump him! Quit! Go blonde!’) Yet all your friend ever does is moan, ‘no, but…’ (What you might not have considered, incidentally, is that if your friend reads this, there is a good chance that it would be you she was thinking of right now. It is far easier to ...
Mar 08, 2020•5 min•Ep. 27
I wish I could do what you do A young man approached me at the end of one of my talks. He wore a smart suit and sported a deep tan. 'I wish I could do what you do,' he said wistfully. Haven't we all felt this way at one time or another? I wish I could paint, but I have no talent; I wish I could be in a band, but I don't have the skills. I wish, I wish, I wish… Harry introduced himself. He was a management consultant, 23-years-old and earning good money in the City. As we shook hands, I asked, 'W...
Mar 07, 2020•4 min•Ep. 26
