|
Written by Terrie Shauer
|
Here's a simple principle: we get stronger, faster, smarter, wiser - in a word better - by doing things that truly challenge and stretch us. Think hard. I doubt you'll come up with a better way of describing the process of personal growth.
Do one thing that is difficult or makes you scared at least one thing every week...
But - and it's a big but - how much time do we spend actually challenging ourselves with things we find hard to do? The honest answer too often is: "Not much time". And it's too bad really. Facing up to challenges and things that scare us is highly benefitial in a bunch of ways.
First, it gives us coping mechanisms for feeling okay with being outside our comfort zone. No one is comfortable outside their comfort zone - that's the very definition of the term "comfort". But the level of our success and growth is partially determined by how we react and grown into situations in which we feel uneasy. Avoiding uncomfortable challenges because they make us uncomfortable is an excellent way of never really going for broke in the pursuit of our goals. So the first benefit of taking on a challenge is that it gets you used to working outside your "zone".
Think of how it feels to spar with people watching. Perhaps this intimidates you, but you want to step in the ring to fight one day. If you always avoid sparring in front of others, how do you hope to be okay with one day getting up to actually fight in front of hundreds of people?
The only way to appropriate and own a thing that makes you uneasy is to get familiar with it.
Second, learning happens when you don't know exactly what you're doing. If you only stick to contexts in which you already feel an expert, you'll not be confronted with the learning process in the same way as if you regularly place yourself into new and challenging situations.
Think for example, of what it feels like to try a new type of work-out or a training session in your sport, but at another club. Usually, these experiences range from mildly uncomfortable - because your routine is broken - to actually uncomfortable, either physically or psychologically. Quite simply, you're doing something you're not used to, and so your reflexes aren't quite in the right place.
But that space of slight discomfort is an excellent place for learning. Your discomfort will get you to see things slightly differently or to pick up some new tricks.
The biggest benefit to doing something difficult regularly is that is prepares you to "Go for No". In pursuing your goals, there will be times when the obstacles in your path seem insurmountable. Perhaps the most intimidating of all roadblocks are those you simply don't know how to get around. Most often, there's a moment at which you need to just launch yourself, not knowing exactly how things will work out.
If you master this process in small steps by challenging yourself regularly, you'll get a lot better at "Going for no" when it counts.
So - the prescription for learning to cope with challenge is to challenge yourself regularly. Once a week, at least, do something you're uncomfortable or unused to. It'll help you out every time you're confronting something important that makes you uncertain! |
|
