THE MESS-UPS THAT MAKE YOU STRONGER

1 SPEAK IN PUBLIC: Most people hate giving a talk, but every accomplished speaker has messed up, learned, and improved. There is nothing more liberating than developing social confidence of this kind. Why not join a local toastmasters club and give it a go?

2 PLAY SPORT: This is an activity where at least one person has to lose (unless the game ends in a draw), but that is precisely why it is so much fun. Tennis, golf, badminton: all are marvellous ways to get fit, develop friendships, and learn how to win (and lose) with grace.

3 ORDER IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Next time you are abroad, why not order the meal in the local language, even if you are not 100 per cent sure of the vocabulary? You may mess up, but the staff will appreciate your willingness to try, and you may get into conversations you never dreamed of. Your language will improve, too.

4 EXPERIMENT IN THE KITCHEN: Why not veer away from the recipe book from time to time, try combining new ingredients, see what works and what doesn’t? Heston Blumenthal became the world’s most innovative chef precisely because he kept trying out new ingredients. As he once told me: ‘I have failed more than anyone else, which is why I have learned so much.’

5 DATE OUTSIDE THE BOX: If you are single, instead of having a narrow template of your perfect partner, with an entire list of tick boxes, why not go out on a limb from time to time? You may meet people who surprise and delight you. At the very least, the wrong date will clarify what Mr or Mrs Right really looks like.