Goal setting: Are you leaning beyond your edge?
Most people tend to stay in a cycle of comfort and retreat, retreat from what is proper to human success. The thing most proper to success in anything is taking risks because when you take risks, you look over the edge of your fears. The boundary between being uncomfortable and being comfortable. Being afraid of leaning over your edge is quite normal, hell even I am guilty of it. But despite that I am able to recongnize the importance of leaning beyond, leaning onto a unfamiliar position where success is not guaranteed. Looking back on my past self I realize my cowardice. I was afraid of pain, even afraid of things with minimal risk. Acknowledging this, I have decided to challenge myself to do 5 uncomfortable challenges and I encourage you to do the same.
1.Embrace Rejection Challenge: Purposefully put yourself in situations where you might face rejection, such as asking for a favor, applying for a job you feel underqualified for, or reaching out to someone you admire. The goal is not to seek rejection but to become more resilient and unafraid of it when it happens.
2.Seek Feedback Challenge: Ask for feedback on your work or any area you want to improve, even if it feels uncomfortable or vulnerable. This could be from a mentor, colleague, or even friends and family. Embrace the feedback, both positive and constructive, as a valuable tool for growth.
3.Exposure Challenge: Confront a fear or discomfort gradually by exposing yourself to it in controlled doses. For example, if you're afraid of public speaking, start by speaking in front of a small group of friends or family and gradually increase the audience size over time.
4.Random Acts of Kindness Challenge: Perform random acts of kindness for strangers or acquaintances regularly. Embrace the discomfort of reaching out to others without expecting anything in return.
5.Solo Adventure Challenge: Plan a solo adventure or trip where you have to rely on yourself for navigating and decision-making. Embrace the discomfort of being independent and self-reliant in unfamiliar surroundings.
Starting next week on sunday I will write an article for each one of these challenges going in depth, also stating the rules and time frame for them. I will do one challenge every week and write my results every week for 5 weeks. The goal here is to get comfortable doing the uncomfortable. I hope you too can lean beyond the edge with me.