I'm on a train home from work battling the AI on my phone at chess. I say battling - really it's more like a man being humbled by degrees on a daily basis. At one point the computer sets a trap for me but I read it and blurt out excitedly:
"You think you're slick, but you're not that slick!"
I look up, realising that the thought had indeed escaped the confines of my brain into the silent carriage. The zombie to my left casts me a sidelong glance and slowly leans away from me. I feel eyes on me as several other people look over wondering exactly how crazy I am...
But I don't feel anything. I'm not even remotely self-conscious.
This marks a change, and this is one of the effects I've noticed since doing a joint comfort zone challenge with my friend Richard.
Comfort Zone Challenge #1
Both Richard and I have noticed some pretty cool aftereffects of this and I have been itching to write this for some time. Here are 9 of the benefits I've experienced following these Daily Challenges. I hope they inspire you to challenge yourself too.
-I sing out loud at times even in public if I'm really feeling the song - I can't sing and I haven't sung out loud in front of anyone since the age of 11
-I don't lower my voice if I'm on the phone and there are other people around
-If that song comes on my iPod and I get the urge to dance by the ATM or anywhere else for that matter, I no longer fight the feeling
2) Challenging the Status Quo
I've realised that most of what we do is based on what has been done so far and I find myself wanting to challenge the status quo and test limits. While still remaining within the confines of the law and being respectful of others, how can we push the envelope creatively, socially, professionally? I had an interview for a trainer position yesterday and some of the questions felt like they were designed by an unreasonable soul. At the end the whole situation felt a little unbalanced to me so I challenged the panel by asking them one of the questions they'd asked me: "What is your greatest accomplishment?" It was nice to see all three of them squirm :)
3) Challenging others and being challenged by them in return
Broadgate Circle - Comfort Challenge
Following the above joint challenge Gigi recorded her first 5 minute comedy bit and she has in turn challenged me to transcribe and analyse a great piece of comedy. I can already guess where that challenge is going to lead... 4) More Excitement
Now I seek out more challenges great and small. New experiences, new foods, new sports, new people. Last week I saw some guys in the park boxing. Ordinarily I'd just do my own thing and go home, I am an introvert after all. But I challenged myself to train with them. I got to teach them some boxing and they've added me to their WhatsApp Fitness Group. They also told me about a new boxing gym which I can use for free which is within walking distance of my home. Chalk up another win for the good guys.
Other exciting challenges to be tackled this year include:
-giving a public speech on an underground train w/Nerea
-starting a train party
-publishing my first book
5) Supercharged Relationships
Challenges are an amazing way to bond with people and deepen your relationships. Doing the comfort zone challenges with Richard and Gigi definitely pushed us all forwards to keep stretching ourselves and doing new things. They were also incredibly fun.
As I follow my heart more there seems to be another kind of guidance and way of living opening up. Bit by bit I'm starting to let go and trust life and my instincts more and more. I've learned that our minds are just the sum total of what we know and we have done so far. Anything outside of what they know is considered difficult or dangerous.
Our intuition however does not have such limitations and can lead us down roads we never even knew existed. This requires us to be vulnerable and to sacrifice certainty for possibility but now I think perhaps life isn't about knowing but rather just a process of discovering.
7) More Creativity
I feel more and more creativity bubbling up within me, probably because I am not dismissing it. There was a while where I didn't feel like blogging but now my mind is overflowing with ideas. I also feel drawn to drawing and cartooning and have some new ideas to play with in terms of teaching using words, images and accelerated learning. The more I follow these instincts the more it seems to me there is no limit to the possibilities within me.
8) More Courage
My courage is growing exponentially. With each new challenge tackled I feel more ready and willing to take on the next and that feeling of adrenaline which was once a red stop light is becoming more like a green light, the excitement that fuels me taking the challenge on. One of the side-effects of this is I am finding myself in more leadership roles.
9) More Me
The biggest difference overall is I feel I am becoming more of myself every day. This might not seem like much of a superpower on the surface but in a world where most of us never feel quite good enough and are desperately trying to be someone else, it's pretty cool.
"If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you." Fred DeVito
What is your challenge today?
Daily Challenges
Following a conversation between Richard White and myself towards the end of 2014, Richard decided to do something fun each day of 2015. This evolved into setting himself daily challenges great and small. A blog, Facebook Group and workshop soon followed and the idea and community continues to grow.
Following a conversation between Richard White and myself towards the end of 2014, Richard decided to do something fun each day of 2015. This evolved into setting himself daily challenges great and small. A blog, Facebook Group and workshop soon followed and the idea and community continues to grow.
Richard's Blog: www.livefromyourheart.life
Thank you for sharing :) I found myself singing in public after our challenge day too :)
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you too, it made my day to hear this :)
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And thank you too, it made my day to hear this :)
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And thank you too, it made my day to hear this :)
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