5 Benefits of Taking a Challenge

Do you set yourself challenges?

We all have an innate desire and need to grow and stretch ourselves. This is why goals that challenge us are so important in business and in life. Without goals, we’re lost. We meander, cruise, stagnate.

I’m currently (just a little 😊) fixated on a personal challenge I set myself.

My Challenge is to walk the 107.4 miles of Yorkshire’s Cleveland Way by myself in 5 days.* I’ve never walked 20+ miles every day for five consecutive days (especially not uphill and down dale!)

I’m training for the challenge of course. I need to build strength in my legs so they can recover easily and get to work again the very next day. I need to check my boots are going to be kind to my feet and that I can carry a hefty rucksack that will contain all I need for the 5 days.

Most of all, though, challenges test your core self. And that’s a good thing!

Here are 5 benefits of taking a challenge

1.     Our resilience and mental toughness are tested and developed so that we find it easier to push on in everyday life when the going gets tough.

2.     Our self-belief is challenged. We’ll have moments of doubt when we wonder whether we can really complete the challenge. When we do complete it, our confidence grows. We know that we can achieve whatever we set our minds on. Woo-hoo!!  

3.     We go through a self-discovery process and find our strengths and weaknesses.

4.     In a team challenge, our teamwork, leadership and communication skills will all be tested. The challenging situation will force us to get better at all of these skills if we are to succeed as a team.

5.     We grow as a person. Going through with a big personal challenge means we have to get out of our comfort zone and this immediately enables us to grow. When we grow as a person, our business grows too.

Ultimately, a challenge makes us stronger mentally and physically too (depending on the challenge) and once the weariness has worn off we’ll want to take on the next big challenge to see what else we’re capable of!

Remember all challenges are relative! What’s a challenge to you might not be to another, and vice versa. I’m not walking the length of Africa: I’m doing my own challenge. 😊

Always love to hear from you!

Ros

*Like many people undertaking challenges that are tough for them, I’m using this opportunity to raise money for my charity of choice, Macmillan Cancer Support . If you’d like to find out more, my fundraising page is at https://bit.ly/3TZRymH