Why should you challenge yourself regularly?
Challenges should feel just out of reach for your current ability level.
Setting yourself regularly challenges tests your limits, builds your resilience and improves your skills.
1. Through challenge, you learn new things about yourself
Setting yourself a big challenge forces you to perform at your limits. At your limit, you start to notice what's holding you back.
Are you strong enough physically? Are you strong enough mentally? Are you strong enough emotionally?
2. Challenges keep you accountable
When you set a time-bound challenge, there's a deadline. Deadlines motivate us to act and let us know if we're progressing fast enough.
On the training days where you lack motivation, reminding yourself of the goal and your reasons for doing it keep you disciplined.
Bonus tip: On the days where you lack motivation, visualise yourself achieving your goal. See yourself celebrating and imagine what it would feel like.
3. Challenge helps you to grow
When you're motivated to take consistent action towards a specific goal, you will start to improve. On reflection, you realise that overcoming the challenge is less important that the journey to get there.
To make the most of growth you need to be honest with yourself and gain regular feedback (from yourself or others). Only when you have an accurate understanding of your current abilities can you know how to improve.
4. Regularly pushing your limits makes life more enjoyable
In 2018, I set myself the challenge of running 10km. In 2019, I ran a half marathon. In 2022, I completed a Tough Mudder.
I did the same thing for public speaking - growing from struggling to speak in front of a group of five to pitching Remap in front of a packed out room.
Each time, I set a goal just out of reach and scrambled to develop my skills and rise to the challenge.
Suddenly, that goal felt more natural and enjoyable. So, I set myself a bigger goal and the cycle continued.
Not only do the actions feel more enjoyable, so does the process. I’ve learnt to find joy in being uncomfortable and just a little bit out of my depth.
Get one of our Remap guided visualisations, to help you win it in your mind first.
