A week of "Why nots?"

“They were looking for a supermodel bitch,” says the diminutive University of Pennsylvania graduate.

Since then, her fearlessness has not waned, but her amount of free time has.

“I’ve always thought, ‘When things become more predictable, I’ll startdot-dot-dot.’

A week of Why nots

But it never happens,” she says.

(you’ve got the option to create one, too.

Comment below about the things you’ve always wanted to try.)

“It’s a matter of deciding you’re free to change how you define yourself.”

One of Newton’s goals?

Write a piece for a magazine.

I loved writing throughout college.

After I graduated, however, my prose dwindled to email and shopping lists.

As one of my challenges?"

“Why not?!”

For me, gymnastics means facing a mortal enemy: the leotard.

I arrived at Chelsea Piers, a sports complex in New York City, for a one-on-one lesson.

I thought of running, feigning illness or pulling the fire alarm.

But then I saw some 6-year-old girls learning cartwheels.

They had on amazing sparkly neon leotardsthere was even one with a tutu!

They were giggling and falling flat on their face, unaware of anything except their delight.

The other gymnasts had better things to do, such as triple backflips.

I left feeling strong and capableas if I’d conquered not only the world but the leotard, too.

So much fun and an incredible workout.

Weekly class, here I come!

Simple, right?Wrong.

Lucy is an in-demand woman!

I hung up three times on Jillian Michaels, theBiggest Loserstar and SELF contributing editor.

(Sorry, Cindy!)

I also spilled silver nail polish all over the desk.

I’m not a water-sports person.

OK, I hate them.

So the next item on my listkayakingwent against every fiber of my being.

Lucy joined me for a tutorial with the Manhattan Kayak Company.

And when I looked behind me, I saw my New York: beautiful, surreal, majestic.

I’ve always admired my mother: her intelligence, her resilience, her beauty.

And she’s an incredible artist and teacher.

Why not do that now?

When we met up, she had everything she needed tucked in her purse.

Brushes, a water bottle, a small set of watercolor paints and a stack of card-sized paper.

Ineverwear makeup when I’m not working or going out.

Easiest “Why not?“ever.

Then the curveball: Allow my husband to photograph me first thing in the morning.

And let SELF publish the picture.

Chris loved the idea.

(And who is smart enough to delete any unflattering snaps immediately!)

My all-time favorite movie isDirty Dancing.

It sparked my love for Patrick Swayze and a passion for dance.

Unfortunately, my attempts at dancing in public usually end in uproarious laughter and/or bodily injury.

Before we started, I apologized for my lack of rhythm and my uncontrollable nervous-laughter reflex.

He responded by turning on the music and teaching me some basic steps.

The only requirement:Keeplaughing and smiling.

When I stopped trying so hard, I was actually dancing!

It was a dream come true.

I’m not hitting the salsa clubs anytime soon, but I’ll take another lessonmaybe even with strangers!

Taking myself out of my comfort zone for seven days straight sounded like a daunting, practically impossible task.

But a strange and amazing thing happened.

The more I dared, the braver I became.

One “Why not?”

can lead to others.

And they can be contagious.

Most important, I realized that sharing adventures with others makes them much less intimidating.

from mere lessons into memories.

I’m a writer now!

“Becki Newton

Photo Credit: Robert Erdmann