I'm starting something new... and it feels like the kind of thing I should have done years ago.
I've officially joined the Rebel Badge Club - I don't think I've been this excited about a hobby in a really long time. It's like the feeling I used to have when bullet journalling. I stopped bullet journalling because I had a planner for work and found I was just creating the same thing as my planner so I fell out of love with it a little bit and it felt like more of a chore than a joy. However, the Rebel Badge Club has really captured my attention!
If you've never heard of it before, the Rebel Badge Club started as a book filled with 52 badges that adults can complete (a bit like Scouts or Guides), from creative challenges to learning new skills and doing things you've always wanted to try but kept putting off. Over time, it has grown into a huge community where people share progress, collect stickers/badges and motivate each other to actually finish things instead of just talking about them; this is exactly why I wanted to start.
Like a lot of people, I always say I want to do more things “for me”. I want to get back to reading more, try new hobbies, get back into being creative and stop putting things off because life is busy. I used to read over 100 books a year but in the last couple of years that has really dipped and I’d love to find my way back to that again. Then work gets hectic, the evenings disappear, and suddenly months have gone by and nothing has changed.
What I love about the Rebel Badge Club is that it gives you a structure. Instead of saying “I should try something new this year”, you actually choose a badge and work towards it. When you finish, you get something real to show for it - which sounds small but it makes it feel more motivating.
I think sometimes adults forget how motivating something simple like that can be, but it isn’t just the badges: it’s the idea behind it. I love the idea of doing something just because it’s fun or interesting, not because it’s work-related or something I have to do.
One thing I’ve already done is buy a scrapbook that I’m going to use to collect evidence of everything I do for each badge. I want somewhere I can stick photos, write little notes about what I’ve done and actually see the progress building up over time.
I’m also going to keep the stickers in there once I’ve earned them, so it feels like a proper record rather than just something I complete and forget about. If I end up getting really into it (which I genuinely think I will), I might start buying the sew-on badges as well so I have something a bit more permanent to keep.
I’m not planning to rush through loads of badges - I actually want to enjoy them slowly. I’d love to:
- Get back into reading properly again
- Try a few creative things again (especially writing and art)
- Do things I normally put off because they feel “too busy”
- Actually finish things I start instead of leaving them half done
If I end up learning something new along the way, that's a bonus!
This feels like the right time to start something new. Life gets busy so quickly and it’s really easy to forget to make time for yourself. Having something like this gives me a little push to actually do the things I say I want to do.
I'm also really bad for catching up or getting ahead with work in my free time but I am now going to dedicate that time do doing things for me, not work. It’s not about being perfect or doing everything - it’s just about trying something different and enjoying it.
So I’m officially starting the Rebel Badge Club… and I’m weirdly excited to see which badge I try first.
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