12 Ways I'm Challenging Myself
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It started back in June when I was sitting at my desk at work feeling fed up with myself because I just wasn’t doing anything with my time. I had plenty of things that I could be doing but I just wasn’t doing them, instead I would go home after work and sit on my computer in my room watching youtube videos. Not the best use of ones time.
So I started goggling and came across 30 day challenges, now these weren’t new to me, I had created a 21 day pamper myself challenge the year before, so the concept wasn’t foreign. I searched through and found things that would challenge me but help me get somewhere, I didn’t want to do challenges for the sake of a challenge, like run a mile everyday, but I wanted to do challenges that aligned with my interests. I know that sounds a bit counter productive, but I do this to push myself out of the lazy zone, so that I am more productive and make better use of my time.
As of today I am still working on my ‘challenges’ or goals. This is just a technique that I am using to hold myself accountable but also to inspire myself to do those things that I’ve been thinking about for a long time- like write a good length novel, not for publishing sake but just because I’ve thought about it on and off for years it’s something that’s on my bucket list.
So here are 12 broad challenges that I’ve given to myself as well as the challenges or goals for the month of September
- Take a 30 minute walk everyday ( which has been pretty easy so far, since I can do this at work on my lunch break, not so sure about when it gets colder though)
- Try out new recipes - So far this has been a fail.
- Do a bible study each week- still need a lot of work on this one
- Make a product each week - I started out good but I’ve been fading these last weeks
- To write a business plan - I have a couple ideas, not sure if I will be going forward with them though
- Travel someplace by myself -which I technically did when I went to Halifax
- Try out new hairstyles and techniques - I didn’t get to this as much since I had my hair in a protective style,but I am very prepared to try out some new techniques and styles (Edit: The past month I have killed the curly fro and am now a huge fan of flexi rods for styling and stretching)
- Write a 50,000 word novel - still in park on this one, I need to get a move on
- Take a class, course or seminar - I’m keeping an eye out for this, though I do have plans to speak on a Panel in November at a workshop, that could work right?
- Read at least one business book a month - I’ve got two on the docket to read right now Business in Blue Jeans by Susan Baroncini-Moe and The Personal business plan by Stephen Bruyant Langer
- To start painting more - I love watercolour and want to improve because I need help
- To start designing/ sketching again - I studied Interior Design and so want to get back to my love of creating spaces, there’s just something about the formula of constructing a design plan for a space
Halifax Harbour on a foggy day
And there you have it 12 ways that I am trying to challenge myself, some areas still need a lot of work and some I’m doing okay with. I try to break them down into bite sized morsels every week in my challenges planner- yes i have a planner just for my challenges, don’t judge me.
So I don’t have a huge success story for you, but I feel like i’m moving with more purpose now, I’ve got something that I could be working on, something to shake up the monotony of going to work and just coming home. I don’t feel constrained to do an activity on my list, it’s there to empower me not to confine me. So what if I haven’t started on my business plan or have barely fleshed out the female lead for my novel don’t worry it’s on my to do list and I’ve got it locked in my mind. It is marked as a pleasurable task as opposed to a chore.
Have you got any challenges or monthly goals for yourself? How are you doing with them, and how do you feel about where you are at with them? As they say sometimes it’s not the destination but the journey.
Talk soon-
Natoya
