Five Daily Self-Challenges

1. Do one thing each day that scares you

Whether we like to admit it or not, we're all scared of something. I'm not talking about the "being buried alive" type of scared, but the things in our everyday life that we may avert from or feel anxious about doing. For some people, even just going to the store alone may feel overwhelming. Others might feel extremely comfortable going into a store alone but dread going to social events. Pick something you normally would stay away from and write it down. Make that your top goal for the day and go do it with a sense of determination. If you have that knot in the pit of your stomach and want to replace it with more positive feelings, try rewarding yourself with something small immediately afterwards. Making it a habit to reward yourself afterwards will train your mind that you are okay when you complete this activity, but that the reward is worth doing the task.

Personally, I have always hated going to the gym alone. It was never fun for me to go by myself, and so I never did it. I would try working out at home and just get distracted by everything else I had to do, that I would cut my workouts short and work on something else. It just wasn't working. Eventually I decided that enough was enough and I was going to workout alone if it killed me.

My gym is down the street from my local Starbucks, so as motivation, I promised myself a coffee (call me basic) only after I finished a workout on my own. I started rewarding myself like this about a month ago and am already feeling a million times better about going to the gym alone. I have a routine now. I plan my workouts the day before and actually enjoy going on my own more than going with friends. I've come to realize that when you're by yourself, you can really focus on the workout without any distractions. Because I'm feeling much better about going alone, I no longer need that coffee for motivation and it honestly feels amazing. It may seem silly but it's been a huge breakthrough for me, and I feel much more confident because of it.

This technique might take longer for others but it definitely helped push me into facing what now seems like such a silly fear.

2. Tell one person in your life how much they mean to you.

This is corny, I know. However, it increases the bonds you have with others. It could be someone in your family, a friend, professor, teacher, pet (lol) etc. You could even write a letter to someone who has since passed and explain how much you miss them or what they meant and still mean to you. Doing this once a day to someone different, will make you and the other person feel good. Even something as simple as "You are a great friend" means a lot and connects you to their soul that much more. It tells them that they're loved. Sometimes we forget to say these things even though we feel and think them, which can leave the other person feeling disconnected or confused in a relationship. Do it however you want, in person (my favorite), through a letter, email, text, how ever you want to deliver the message, do it. Your soul will feel great at the end of the week, and so will the other person's.

3. Allow yourself time for creativity

If you are a creative person and love to draw, do it. If you are a writer, do it. If you are a yogi, do it. If you love to go swimming, do it. Whatever it is, take time during your week to do the things you love. It keeps your brain, mind and soul in check and frees your creative energy so you can do your best without restricting that creative side we all have. I noticed that not doing the things I loved to do brought my mood down and instead of climbing out of a rut, it put me further into one to the point where I felt I was at a standstill and had no other place to move. Almost like checkmate in checkers. I felt as if I spent time doing creative things, my schoolwork would get behind, and if I did too much school work, I would loose all my creativity. Lately I have been giving myself more time for creative thinking with my writing and artwork, and I can't explain how much lighter and more motivated I am. Life is all about finding balance between work and the things you love, so don't forget to take time for the things you love.

4. Work your hardest

There is no other feeling than the feeling of perseverance and effort. I know those effort awards in elementary school felt lame and not special because everyone on the team received one, but when it comes down to it, effort pays off and gives you the most satisfying feeling. No one can take away that feeling of "I did my best". Even if you may not succeed in your ultimate goal, you know yourself that you gave it 100% and that's all you can do. These efforts will payoff one way or another whether anyone else realizes it or not. "Half-assing it" never got anyone anywhere. The time I felt the most motivated in life was when I gave my all at work and still managed to save time for my friends and family. After a while, not only did I feel great about my efforts, but eventually my manager noticed and commended my dedication (which is always an added bonus).

5. Try something new.

This point might be confused with #1, however this challenge is much different. I want you to go out and try something new, something you have never ever done before. It might seem hard to do this every single day, but do it as often as you can. Even if you think you've done it all, I guarantee you haven't. Try to at least do this once a week, and if you are low on ideas, maybe read some other blogs or online posts for inspiration. It could be something as little as trying out a new restaurant or something really big like going to a foreign country. I am sure there are plenty of things you could think of if you tried hard enough. This not only makes you a happier individual by changing things up, but broadens your horizons and changes the way you look at new things. They say "variety is the spice of life" and this is one way to spice up your life. You may see new things as uncomfortable or out of reach, but starting small will spark a fire. Once you begin pushing yourself to try something small, you will become more and more comfortable with the idea. Maybe make a list and challenge yourself to do something on it once a week. Eventually, you'll realize there are a lot of things waiting to be explored.

I just started doing this and so far I have tried new foods at new restaurants, traveled to new places I had never seen (even little places in my own home town), and even met new people I would have never talked to had I not branched out of my old routine. Not only is this helping me learn more about other cultures and people, but it is definitely teaching me more about myself.

Hopefully this post wasn't too cheesy and helps you in some way. These are just the challenges I am giving myself this year to help me get the most out of my life. Hopefully it does the same for you!

#life #list #challege #psychology