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Big Changes Ahead... And I Want You In On It
Colleen Kochannek
March 02, 2025
A Note From Colleen
Hi, friends.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s next for this newsletter - and for us as a community.
Over the past year, I’ve loved sending you the Gumption Gazette, sharing insights on reinvention, money, mindset, and designing an incredible 3rd act. But lately, I’ve felt like we need more.
More ways to connect. More ways to actually have conversations instead of me just talking at you in an email. More ways to share stories and ideas in real time.
So, I’m making a big move.
In just a few weeks, I’ll be rebranding this newsletter and moving it to Substack - a place where I can:
✅ Go deeper into the realities of reinvention - life, money, mindset, and all the things we don’t talk about enough.
✅ Give you more valuable insights (without getting lost in an inbox full of noise).
✅ Share content in more formats—not just emails, but also short-form Notes, video messages, and audio updates.
✅ Create a real community - where we can actually chat, share experiences, and support each other.
And don’t worry—the Gumption spirit stays. Because if there’s one thing I know about women over 50, it’s that we have it in spades.
I can’t wait to share more details next week, but for now, just know: Big things are coming, and you’ll be the first to know.
Stay tuned - more soon!
PS: Hit reply and let me know: What’s ONE thing you’d love to see more of in this next chapter?
Cheers,
Colleen Kochannek, Publisher
*This publication may include affiliate links and links to products I sell. If you click and buy, I may earn revenue and/or commission.
MY FIRST MICRO-ADVENTURE UNDER MY BELT. HERE’S HOW IT WENT…
I’m no Indiana Jones (or am I?), but last weekend, I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried something completely new. I set off on my first geocaching outing, and not only did I find three (or 10) hidden caches, but I think I may have rediscovered my sense of adventure - even if it was just exploring a local park.
By the end of the day, I felt like an excited little kid who couldn’t wait to tell everyone about my grand adventure and drop my newfound vocabulary -waypoints, latitude, longitude - into casual conversation.
THE MAGIC OF MICRO-ADVENTURING
What I learned that day is that micro-adventuring is everything I hoped it would be. It’s about the little steps into the unknown that help us reconnect with ourselves. It reminded me that adventure doesn’t have to mean booking a flight or making a dramatic life change - it can be as simple as doing something different, just for the fun of it.
That’s why I’ve already planned my next two micro-adventures: In March, I’ll be learning CPR and taking an archery lesson.
FINDING INSPIRATION FOR ADVENTURES
While coming up with my 2025 Micro-Adventure plan, I documented the entire process -how I found local resources and planned my adventures.
Heck, I even used AI to help brainstorm ideas.
I gathered all these resources into my Micro-Adventure Program and Planner - a simple, self-study guide that serves as an invitation to explore, reinvent, and discover unexpected parts of yourself. It’s about saying yes to curiosity and trying new things with no pressure, no expectations, just for the joy of it.
WHY MICRO-ADVENTURES MATTER
As 2025 rolled in, I realized I had fallen into a pattern of saying no - to social invitations, new experiences, anything that felt even slightly outside my comfort zone. I had become too comfortable staying home, too accustomed to playing it safe.
That’s when I decided to create a challenge for myself: Six micro-adventures for the year.
By the end of 2025, I want to look back and see proof that I stretched myself, tried new things, and rebuilt some of that lost confidence.
WHAT’S A MICRO-ADVENTURE?
For me, a micro-adventure is a small, low-stakes experience that nudges you into the unfamiliar. It’s about shaking up your routine just enough to spark curiosity and courage.
A day trip to a town I’ve never visited. Signing up for a class just for fun. Trying a new skill with zero expectations. Each tiny adventure adds interest to my life, boosts my confidence, and reminds me that I’m still capable, still curious, still brave.
My first micro-adventure was geocaching. Next up? CPR training and archery. If I love them? Great. I’ll have cool stories and new skills. If I don’t? No big deal. It cost me a few hours and a little effort - low risk, high reward.
RECLAIMING YOUR COURAGE
If you’ve been feeling stuck or like you’ve lost your mojo, I encourage you to start small, too.
Try something new - something that feels just a little uncomfortable.
Say yes to something you’d normally say no to.
Take a small risk, just to remind yourself that you can.
Plan a micro-adventure - something simple, fun, and different.
Confidence doesn’t come back all at once. But step by step, choice by choice, it builds. And before you know it, you’ll see it: You still have it. Your bravery is still there, waiting to be rediscovered.
WANT TO PLAN YOUR MICRO-ADVENTURES WITH ME?
I created the Micro-Adventure Program and Planner to help guide you through planning and tracking your own adventures. It’s full of ideas, resources, and prompts to help you shake things up and rediscover your own sense of adventure.
Let’s make 2025 a year of small but mighty adventures - because the best discoveries happen when we step just outside our comfort zones.
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