Change rarely starts with a giant leap. It usually starts with one small, slightly brave step: a text you've been putting off, ten quiet minutes, a "yes" to something new. The Take a Chance cards are 26 of those steps, each with its own page of simple tips, free options, and a shorter version for days when energy is low.
Here is the whole deck in one place, grouped by what you might need today. You don't have to do them in order. Start with the one that makes you think, "I could do that."
When you need a little courage
Small brave moves that grow your confidence a step at a time.
- The Comfort Zone Challenge: try one thing that feels a little scary, then celebrate the try.
- Say Yes Day: for one day, say yes to a safe invitation or idea you'd normally turn down.
- Ask for Help: ask someone for help with one thing, and make it easy for them to say yes or no.
- Join Something New: go to a club, class, or group just once.
- Say No Kindly: give a kind, clear no to something that drains you.
- The Money Peek: spend 20 brave minutes looking honestly at your money and choose one small change.
Dreams and fresh starts
For the wish you've carried for years, or the clean slate you're ready for.
- One Step Toward a Dream: write down a long-held dream and spend 15 minutes on one real step.
- Learn Something New: practice a new skill for 30 minutes a day for two weeks.
- Clear One Drawer: clear one drawer or shelf in 15 minutes for a quick, satisfying fresh start.
- The Unsent Letter: write a letter you'll never send to help let go of an old hurt.
- A Letter to Your Future Self: write to the person you'll be a year from now.
Calm and kindness toward yourself
Gentle cards for tired days. Taking care of yourself is a chance worth taking too.
- Ten Quiet Minutes: a simple, beginner-friendly way to breathe and be present.
- Permission to Rest: give yourself one guilt-free afternoon off.
- Be Your Own Friend: for one day, talk to yourself the way you'd talk to a dear friend.
- Mirror Affirmations: spend a week saying kind, believable words to yourself.
- The Phone-Free Hour: put your phone in another room for one full hour.
- Morning Light: spend ten minutes outside each morning for a week.
Joy and noticing the good
Little practices that change what you notice, and how your days feel.
- Evening Reflection: three simple questions to end your day.
- Three Good Things: each night for a week, write down three good things and why they happened.
- Five Beautiful Things: take a short walk and find five beautiful things you've never noticed.
- The One-Song Dance Party: put on a song you love and dance all the way to the end, standing or sitting.
- Make Something, Just Because: spend 20 minutes creating something with your hands, just for joy.
- Plant Something: plant a seed or small plant and care for it.
- Explore Your Own Town: be a tourist close to home and visit one place you've never been.
Connect with the people you love
- Reach Out: send a message to someone you've lost touch with.
- Save a Family Story: record a loved one telling a story, before it's lost.
Ways to use the deck
- One card a week. Pair it with a Give a Chance card and you have a full year of small chances, 52 in all.
- Draw at random. The Chances.org home page shows a fresh card each visit.
- Go bigger. When a card stirs up a bigger wish, turn it into a plan with the free Wish-to-Action Plan or the Take a Chance Decision Guide.
- Starting over? The Second Chance Plan and Fresh Start Check-In can help you find your footing.
If you're going through something heavier than a small step can hold, you don't have to handle it alone. Find Help lists free resources for hard times, and in the US you can call or text 988 any time to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Want more? Browse the free Chances Toolbox, or talk to Chance, our friendly AI guide, about a next step that fits your life right now.