The 52 Week Project: How I Fixed My Life by Trying a New Thing Every Week for a Year

by Lauren Keenan (Contributor)

It was winter. Lauren Keenan was separated from her husband, lonely, and miserable. Then came the night of Twenty-Seven Rejections of Doom: she asked twenty-seven people to hang out one Friday night, and every single person said no.

Lauren realised her life wasn't working for her and that she needed to change it. It was time to try something new. Fifty-two new things, in fact. She made a resolution: she'd try 52 new things in 52 weeks.

From zip lining to entering a stand-up comedy night; swimming with sharks to detoxing from social media; giving up alcohol for six months to going to a music festival alone; Lauren put herself out there with surprising results.

Her year of new experiences was a game changer. It repaired her relationship with her husband, she regained confidence in herself, and she realised how satisfying it can be to push yourself to your limits and to do things on your own.

The 52 Week Project combines Lauren's insights and humour with current psychological research, as she brings readers along during her year of making the most out of life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Self Help, Inspirational, Essays

272 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2020

Reviews

[Vicki Antipodean Bookclub · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lauren Keenan, the kiwi author of The 52 Week Project, managed to do 52 new things in 52 weeks. Over the course of a year, she para-sailed, dragon boated, crafted and danced her way to a deeper understanding of herself. Prompted by separating from her husband and a night spent alone at the movies after realising she’d asked 27 people to spend the evening with her (otherwise known as the 27 rejections of doom), Lauren decided to face her fears and get comfortable in her own company. The book she has written about the result of her experiences is enjoyable and insightful. In fact, writing a book was New Thing 54 and she nailed it!

[Maria Elmvang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I know the author, and am in fact mentioned in this book on enough occasions to make me awfully chuffed :-D

With that bias clearly stated, I really enjoyed the book. It was right up my aisle along with other inspirational memoirs like "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin and "Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come" by Jessican Pan - I especially found a LOT of similarities between this and "The Happiness Project". (Lauren, if you haven't read it already - you should! :-D )

I love the idea of trying out 52 new things in a year, and remember the brainstorming that happened on FB when Lauren first asked the question. I was thrilled to see how many of the suggestions came to pass and that it was an awesome mix of adrenaline rushes (both of the shark and of the putting-oneself-out-there variety), self-help/self-care, relationship-building and just plain fun!

All in all I found it extremely relatable (another person who's gone from talking on the phone for hours on end, to feeling like an intruder whenever I want to call "just to chat"!!! Somebody who PUT INTO WORDS what's so amazing about an old friend!!) and extremely inspirational. Which 52 new things would I be brave enough to try?

(And for personal reasons, I loved the epilogue :-D ).

[Sophia Golfinopoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light-hearted, refreshing read. Most of the ideas were interesting and inspiring, while others were underwhelming. My highlights were her tarot reading, social media detox, going 6 months without alcohol, and performing stand-up comedy. The consistently self-deprecating tone was a bit of a put-off, but overall, well written and relatable - loved that it was by a NZ author!

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK A bit disappointing, no great revelations and some of her ideas were lame. Her tone was also a little whiny and she came across as very needy. I felt a bit sorry for her friends to be honest.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I binge-read this over two days while I was off work sick, waiting for my COVID test result. This was so relatable and so well-written that it felt like sitting down with a good friend over wine and discussing life and all its challenges and triumphs. Highly recommend. The only downside was at times I thought she could've gone into a bit more detail about some of the challenges.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book incredibly relatable (also being a middle class mum from Wellington) in terms of Lauren's struggles but very heart warming and positive, and it gave me lots of good ideas for my New Years resolutions.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some interesting ideas in here to try. It encourages me to try something new.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a light-hearted read about a woman trying 52 new things in 52 weeks.

Much of the book was about her marriage breaking apart and trying to rebuild it, and her confidence issues. Overall it was good, I enjoyed the references to other books/research and even though I was expecting more, I still came away with a few words of wisdom.

It was often written in a self-deprecating way which is possibly why I found it hard to rate higher (as I didn't anticipate it to be written this way).

I would say 3.5 stars as overall it was enjoyable and glad to read a book by a New Zealand author!

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit moany & very self deprecating which I’m not about for an inspirational kind of book. The 52 ideas were ok but everything was layered with negativity. I wanted to love it and love the idea! The execution just didn’t hit for me

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not so much a recollection of 52 new things, but rather a reflection on the author’s personal issues and insecurities, and her efforts to break outside the boxes of her comfort zones to overcome them. Loneliness, physical appearance, social perceptions and expectations, marriage, parenthood and the anxiety of it all – it is all very relatable. (The one thing I personally cannot relate to is having an entire 27 people I could reasonably approach with an offer to spend some time together. I could come up with 10, maybe, if I really pushed it, and most of them would be bewildered if (hopefully) amicable to hear from me. Introversion. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

There are many insightful moments, and many passages that had me nodding in reflection on my own experiences and relationships. Me too, Lauren, me too. I can’t say it was very uplifting, but sometimes reaffirming that you’re not the only one is all you need.

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One note not directly related to the book – the narrator of the audio book, whilst a great voice artist, talks like a prim and proper British lady and sounds like she’s in her 50’s. I couldn’t help but imagine her having biscuits and tea in a sunny parlor with other prim and proper British ladies. Nothing wrong with any of that, of course, but it gave a very amusing touch to the F-bombs and mentions of reddit memes and the like.

[Wendy Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great concept for a book, and lots of good insights on parenting/working/friending life. I know the author works an intense full-time job, so the fact that she completed this project *and* wrote a book about it is incredibly impressive.

[Kayscha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so relatable that parts of it I actually could have written myself (if I could write well that is).
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I’m finding this nearly 50 middle age thing a weird but wonderful time of life, I’m no longer working, the little bit of work I was doing with a charity stopped due to the virus and we have 2 fabulous teenagers who are doing what teenagers are supposed to be doing (well again aside from that Covid inconvenience!) and becoming more and more independent. It’s a hard to articulate feeling and one I know some friends also feel, and despite having an incredibly privileged and happy life I feel like I’m at a bit of an in between “gap” stage.
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I think that’s what drew me to this book! I’ve always loved trying new things and this book is relatable, fun and honest as well as being a quick and easy read.
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I’ve never had “27 rejections of doom” and I’ve absolutely zero desire to have vodka infused doughnuts, so as well as trying new things…I’m just gonna do the things - things I’ve thought about doing, things I’ve put off doing…so off I went and got my “seconds” with my youngest ! They’re not quite the nose stud I’ve always wanted but it’s a start!!
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Worth a read if you’re a bit stuck, need some inspo and want a fast and fun book to read. I enjoyed it and now I’m wondering what I’ll do next …

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lauren Keenan is a perfectly ordinary middle-class mum from Wellington, NZ, who finds herself losing confidence and mojo. Not depressed, just a downward spiral of suck (I think she called it:) She decides to do 52 New Things. Some big things - Swimming with Sharks! Performing Stand-up Comedy! Some little things - getting her tarot cards read. Some little things that were actually big things, like having a Make-over.

Lauren's style is chatty, although she does include some research and quite a bit of thought and analysis. Book in this genre - unappetisingly called Stunt Non-Fiction (or do something for a year and then blog/write about it) are less about doing the things and more about the impact it has on the author. So there isn't a lot of detail about the Swimming with Sharks (where was it? How many sharks?), but strangely we learn a lot about why the make over and wearing red lipstick made Lauren so anxious, and what she learned as a result.

The book lost a bit of impetus at the end - I felt enough analysing had been done. But overall it's an interesting read, and we could learn from the concept. Some of the 52 things were expensive, big ticket items. But many were small and local, but still a way to break us out of our everyday anxieties and worries.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I selected this book at the library based on the title and the premise of trying new things not realising, until I was partway in, that this was written by a fellow Kiwi. I was impressed. I found this book entertaining, honest, and well written. I even laughed out loud several times as I found myself relating to things the author had written about. While not finding some of the new things she did inspiring I appreciated they were all important in the journey she was taking. There was the odd new thing I would like to have read more detail about, and her naming of things with long titles like "The Downward Spiral of Suck" irked me somewhat, but overall I found this book a worthwhile read. It has left me with lots of things to think about and the inspiration to get out and try as many new things as I can in this thing we call life.

[Alona · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was new as I hadn't read anything similar, but I learned nothing big or revealing overall.

Despite its familiarity, the book served as a valuable reminder that everyone faces their own challenges. It sparked a newfound curiosity within me, encouraging me to be more open-minded and explore the world around me beyond the confines of my comfort zone.

While the book's message may be something we all know, it still serves as a powerful catalyst for transformation, especially as we approach the end of the year. I'm already planning my list of new experiences for the coming year, filled with hope and excitement to emerge as a slightly different person. A heartfelt thank you to Ms. Keenan for this inspiring read!

[Melia Bauer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay. It was easy to read, but it was also a bit boring. I think I’m too young to relate to a mid-life crisis and what it’s like to be a mum, but it was a bit exhausting to read so much about a person with super low self esteem and who’s constantly whining about something. If I ever turn out like this, please slap some sense back into me.
I do have my insecurities so I could relate to some things, at the same time I was just wondering why this woman hasn’t gone to therapy to tackle her insecurities and problems because I feel like this might have helped her even better than just trying out new things. I honestly think this book could have been a blog post and I would not read it again.

[Amanda Watkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a book written about a year long experience! Keenan sets out to complete a new thing each week over a year after feeling like she is in a downward spiral.

I found this book, surprisingly helpful to decide to do more new things and take opportunities when they were made available. I found this book very relatable as a wife and a mother of 2 young children living in Australia (author is a New Zealander).

This is a lived experience book peppered with facts and references, where necessary. I did start to phase out toward the end - it seemed to struggled to wrap up neatly but overall, I enjoyed it for the most part and found it helpful to take opportunities when presented with them.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did a 52 week challenge a few years ago, all about my creative focus and it was great. Though the focus of this project is quite different, the concept is the same...there is a hole, gap, need or something, that has to addressed, fulfilled, nurtured or overcome. There were happy sad moments here, so much of which I could relate to, as well as a few hooty laughter moments.
Despite the fear, challenges are good for the soul and give us a wonderful sense of achievement at the end, however it is all about the journey.
I think there is something here for everyone.

[Ms Eclectic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised at how low some people had rated this one, as I found it very inspiring and motivating.

The book is pretty self-explanatory but the author is a similar age to me so many of the challenges she describes in life are extremely relatable.

As someone who was extremely adventurous in her twenties and more settled now, the inspiration to seek out new things has been taken and I’m looking forward to coming up with my own list.

I rarely enjoy nonfiction but the author’s open and engaging look at the world and herself, interspersed with research, was perfect.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! And no, I'm probably not the demographic it's aimed at, however I appreciated how relateable Lauren's stories were for my younger self. Unlike others, I enjoyed her self-deprecating style and found myself laughing aloud a couple of times. Another reviewer has mentioned that it gave her tips/confidence to 'get out there' - that with all our insecurities, we are not alone. That in itself made it a worthwhile read.

[Jane (Avid reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

After getting 27 rejections on one night Lauren decides to try 52 new things over the course of a year. She analyses her life and challenges herself to go beyond her comfort zone. Some of the things she tries are small but meaningful for her like wearing red lipstick - and others are much more challenging and confronting like performing stand up comedy. There were many stories in the book that resonated with me - however in places it had a slightly whiny tone which was irritating.

[Grace Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be a really easy read and absolutely blew through it in less than a week. Keenan writes in a very conversational tone although I do feel that she doesn't discuss most of these 'projects' in depth (but I also don't think that was the purpose of this novel).

If someone is looking for ideas to break up their repetitive life or for an easy read, I would recommend this book. I don't think I would read this book again but it was a lovely reprieve from the intensity I normally read.

[EmilyP · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I expected from this book was a person trying 52 new things in an year to explore themselves. What I got was a person trauma dumping and complaining about their life with a sprinkle of, "oh and I did this". It's like 6 pages of complaining and 1 paragraph of the new thing, rinse and repeat. The title is really misleading and the author really would have benefitted more from 52 weeks of therapy rather than 52 new things.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read all about getting outside your comfort zone. The author spent a calendar year doing a new thing each week. The book wasn't exactly what I had initially expected, but it was a wonderful read. Bonus points, I read a dyslexic friendly copy - as that was all the library had available. I wasn't sure what I would think but it was easy to read. Certainly my "old lady" eyes appreciated the larger font.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel inspired to make more of an effort to try new things. Not in a 52 things in a year kind of way but in an as an opportunity arises kind of way.

I hope Lauren Keenan has ditched those awful sounding male friends who sound like they are stuck in the 20th C (i.e telling her not to compete with the 'hot chicks' or that mums going out on the town is gross). Who needs friends like that?!

[Helen Waghorn · Rating 2 out of 5]

About a woman in NZ who feels stuck and so tries 52 new things in a year. I felt like some of the lessons she learned and was trying to teach in the book seem blindingly obvious, and some of the new things that were tried weren’t really worth writing home about. Overall an alright read, but not something I would suggest to people similar to me

[Marissa Baggio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did love the idea of this book. The premise to force yourself into new situations. It was interesting to hear how it changed Lauren's look on life and the way she interacted with situations that came into her life whilst doing the 52 week project.
It's something I will try and implement into my own life, or maybe start saying yes to things more often.

[Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I had followed the script since I was a teenager, and it had run out of words"

I've tried a version of this before (12 new things in a year, so one a month) and did find some activities I both now love and would never try again, but I was glad I got rid of a lot of "one day I should try...."

[Rosie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book really just made me massively cringe on a number of levels.

Wanted to enjoy it, could not as I was distracted by the fact my brain was constantly going “oh hmm. That’s a bit pathetic now real isn’t it?”

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book, I’m 29 and from Auckland and this book has inspired me immensely to live my life again and try new things and get out of my comfort zone.
I highly recommend it, it’s also super easy to read and a few giggles and other emotions along the way.
Great book Lauren!