When we are born, everything is a challenge. We can’t do much other than eat, poop and sleep. Soon we begin to control our bodies, learning to sit up, crawl, stand up and eventually walk and run. It’s a lot and it doesn’t happen overnight.
Every time we turn around there is a new challenge. Learning to read and write, going to school, graduating, playing sports, making friends, getting married, having a family and everything else that we do is all a challenge. Some things come easily to us and others don’t. Still, we move through life with a trail of accomplishments in our wake.
Sometimes as we get older we don’t feel the need to challenge ourselves anymore. This can lead to apathy and depression and it doesn’t need to be that way.
Action – No matter how old you are or what stage of life you are in, decide that you want to learn something new. It really doesn’t matter what it is, just think of anything that you haven’t already mastered. Find an activity or a subject that interests you and then begin the process of learning everything you can about it.
Steps – First, do some brainstorming and come up with an idea that truly interests you. This doesn’t need to be an activity that can make you money, but it can be. Just make sure that it is a subject or activity that you can get excited about.
It could be learning how to cook, or figuring out how to make fancy French desserts. You could teach yourself how to code, build a website, and start a blog. Maybe photography interests you, or learning how to paint landscapes or portraits. It’s always possible to learn another language or to get a degree or certificate and start working in a new field. There are no limits to the number of things you can find to challenge yourself.
Why It Makes You Feel Better – When we stop learning, we stop living. We are curious by nature and learning new things satisfies this curiosity. The brain is an incredible tool that functions much better when it is used regularly. If most of your time is spent in front of a television in a passive state, your brain is getting soft. Sharpen it up by giving it something to do.
Having a project that you are passionate about is excellent for mental health and for finding joy in your day. Once we stop challenging ourselves, it is easy to become bored and perhaps even depressed. There are so many things that you can choose to do instead of living life passively, and you don’t even need to spend any money to do it. Going to the library and committing to reading a book every week is a great way to open up new worlds.
Example – A friend told me the other day about a lady she knows who, at the age of 87, decided to get a law degree. She finished it after turning 90 and had no intention of ever practicing, but it was something that had always interested her.
We are only limited by our own beliefs of what is possible for us. When you begin to seek out challenges every day, you will be amazed at the experiences that come into your life. Find your challenge today and prepare to open up a whole new world.