Reach your goals

Start a business

TEST THE WATERS Search for franchise opportunities at franchisedirectory.com.au. You could start being your own boss for an initial investment of less than $25,000.
DIVE IN Put your idea into practice. “Define what’s going to make your business unique,” says Kirsty Dunphey, the youngest ever Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year, who opened her own real estate agency at 21. “There might be 20 cafes, hairdressers or mechanics in your area, so decide what will make yours special. Create something worth talking about.”

Get involved in politics

TEST THE WATERS Join the local branch of a political party aligned with your values.
DIVE IN Run for local council. How? Attend council meetings then, before an election, fill in a nomination form and, if your name makes it to the ballot paper, campaign for residents and ratepayers in the area to vote for you. (Keep your day job – elected members aren’t paid for their time but receive a small expenses allowance.) You could one day be elected mayor, and some mayors have even gone on to be Members of Parliament.

Hold an art exhibition

TEST THE WATERS Exhibit your art online on a site like TheArtGallery.com.au – you pay a $30 annual membership fee plus $10 per image, then the site takes 10 per cent commission if you make a sale online. A warning for sensitive artistic types): you actually have to have talent, since the administrators will review your art before deciding whether or not to post it.
DIVE IN Create a portfolio of your work, then visit small galleries (or cafes) that exhibit similar styles of work by emerging artists to see if they’ll show yours.

Volunteer in the Third World

TEST THE WATERS Join a program like Projects-Abroad.com.au. The catch: most will require you to pay to volunteer, though that covers necessities like food, accommodation and insurance.
DIVE IN Move to Cambodia, one of the few countries where over-30s can easily get a simple-to-extend business visa. The main work available is aid work and English teaching. And make sure you stay across the Cambodia travel advice at smartraveller.gov.au (it currently advises that there’s a risk of civil unrest and violent criminal activity).

Do a triathlon

TEST THE WATERS Try a team event like the Nissan/BRW corporate triathlon (supersprint.com.au), in which teams of three complete the 400m swim, 10km cycle and 4km run. Not up to that? The Omara Cycles Tri-it Women’s Triathlon (starttofinish.com.au) in Melbourne on February 13, 2010, is a short tri, offering a range of distances starting from a 100m swim, 3km cycle and 500m run.
DIVE IN Train, train, train to do a Half Ironwoman (1.9km swim, 90km cycle, 21.1km run). TriNow.com.au offers triathlon coaching online. More sport events: visit Banzai

Write a book

TEST THE WATERS Write a blog novel (40 chapters of about 500 characters each) at blovelspot.com. “Write what you know,” says Anne Brooksbank, author of seven novels. “But, above all, write. Even if you don’t know where you’re going when you start, you may find out as you go along.”
DIVE IN Software, like New Novelist 2.0 (newnovelist.com), can help create your novel’s characters and suggest settings. Oh, and prepare for rejection – author Bryce Courtenay says there are around 10,000 manuscripts floating around Australia at any one time.