Hey Smarties, it’s Kimberly! I’m taking over the newsletter today to talk about what made me smart in 2023 … and what I’m hoping will make me smarter in 2024! Read on for the story of how I tried dozens of new skills last year, from sewing to mountain trekking! 

Around the holidays in 2022, my friends started asking me what my big plans were for the milestone year — I was going to turn 40 in 2023. I already had a big trip planned to Bhutan and Thailand with friends in the summer, but I wanted to do more … because I’m a bit extra. I started thinking about smaller things I wanted to do — classes, workshops, crafts — things I could never seem to find others to do with me. After all, everyone is busy (and I’m busy), plus coordinating schedules is a beast. But I decided that this was the year I was going to try EVERYTHING.  

Thus began my yearlong “40 skills for 40” adventure.  

Starting in January, I challenged myself to try out 40 new skills over the course of the year. And I had these parameters: 

1. It had to be something I had never done before (or at least not in a meaningful way, or on my own). 
2. I wanted to learn a skill from someone, rather than figure it out from YouTube or the internet. 
3. It needed to be a skill that I could pick up a basic understanding of in one class. 

I was also determined to get more comfortable doing things on my own, but I still wanted the option to do things with my friends and family. So, I created a shared document with a running list of everything I was planning, including dates, links for signing up and the cost. I emphasized to everyone that I was not going to coordinate, but if folks ever wanted to join in, they were welcome.

And people did! A neighbor joined me for a calligraphy class. My Uncle David was my buddy for outdoor rock climbing and my compass and map navigation class. Some girlfriends came along for a class where we learned to lay tile.  Another friend convinced me to run a 5K and go skydiving. To my surprise, I enjoyed both!

Some skills were things I had in mind from the start. I knew, for example, I wanted to try rock climbing, ikebana and axe throwing. Other activities were organically added to my list, like those that friends and colleagues offered to teach me. Our Marketplace Washington, D.C. intern taught me how to crochet; a former teaching colleague taught me stand-up paddleboarding; a friend walked me through the basics of camping. 

I met lots of cool people at the various classes. Even when I went to something on my own, I never felt unwelcome or left out.

Some things I was decent at, and others I was so bad at that I am still horrified — cue the embarrassing flashbacks of me mountain biking. It certainly taught me humility, and I am much more comfortable being bad at something in public now than I was last year. 

Let’s do the numbers on my 40 skills for 40! 

46 — The total number of skills or activities I planned.  

40  — The total number of activities I completed in 2023.  

17  — The number of activities I completed solo.  

23  — The number of activities I completed with friends and family.  

$68.25  — The average cost per activity. Some activities, like hosting a TV show, were free. The most expensive activity I did was skydiving, at $250.  

$2,730 — The total cost for me to complete my “40 skills for 40” challenge (excluding the trip to Bhutan and Thailand, which was planned earlier). 

I know some folks believe that we’ve “overscheduled” our fun in this modern world, but my year of trying new things and planning them in advance provided more chances for friends and family to hang out with me, at times that also worked for them. For 2024, I’m thinking through what things I’ve tried that I might want to try again, or maybe even really develop as a skill with regular classes. But, I’m not gonna lie… I’m also looking forward to having more unscheduled weekends.  

I have a full list of everything I did, in case you want some inspiration. And if you decide you want to embark on a similar adventure, here are my tips: 

1. Share the experience! Invite anyone you think you’d enjoy learning something new with. You never know who will show up. 
2. Resist the urge to make it A BIG THING. Let others make their own arrangements, and if you are overwhelmed, it’s OK to drop something. Just have fun.  
3. Embrace being bad at stuff. The sheer volume of things I was trying to do reminded me there is no way any one person can be good at everything. You can still have a good time, even when there’s a seven-year-old scolding you on how to properly bend your knees while roller skating.

Happy New Year! 

We’re still looking for your cocktail recipes!

Inspired by Wisconsin’s brandy Old Fashioneds, Smarties have suggested a bunch of cocktails (and mocktails) to represent the other 49 states. We’re working on a fun project for all these recipes in 2024, so don’t hold back! Reply with the best drink to represent your state.