The Power of a Personal Challenge
Get ready to escape your comfort zone
Personal Challenges take 3 major forms:
Some smack us in the head without warning, life events outside our control. They could take shape as an unexpected injury or illness, a loss of someone close to us, a bushfire, flood or just overcoming a life story that we may have had little control over. They test our fortitude to the max. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you have a learning experience. Sometimes you don't even get up again.
Then there is the 'Watch this' type. I’m a pretty headstrong sort of person. I can’t stand to be told that I can’t do something. Even though I may doubt myself, when someone tells me I can't, I slip into 'Watch this' mode. Has that got me into trouble? You bet. But I wouldn't be who I am unless my ego has dived into deep water before checking the depth once or twice. Fortitude is tested. You tread water. Sometimes you win and sometimes you have a learning experience. There could be scars
In my early adult years, I blindly took on a 'Watch this' challenge. As a single mum of 2 preschoolers, I moved from my hometown to a much larger University town to undertake a full-time degree. Quickly realising I had bitten off more than I could chew, I ploughed on. And then at the end, we packed up and headed for Sydney to start a new life. It was a rocky road. We survived but to say there were no long-term scars would be fibbing. I don't recommend that sort of challenge.
Then, there are sane challenges, the ones you issue to yourself but approach quite differently. You put a plan into place; you build up foundational skills and support systems before going after the big goal or ambition. As I get older and wiser this third type has featured much more in my life.
Why should we challenge ourselves?
Apart from the obvious strength, capability, resilience and self-esteem we build in the process, it feels so good to overcome and be able to look back and say to ourselves 'I did that’.
It forces us to solve problems creatively along the way.
It keeps us humble when we learn that we, heaven forbid, don't know everything.
As someone said recently, it helps us to 'swallow the frog', to tolerate discomfort.
Consistently taking on new challenges helps us become a fuller version of ourselves.
If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you - Fred DeVito
Last week I revealed my purpose is to challenge myself physically, intellectually and creatively.
Let's get Physical
Hiking has been a passion for the past 30 years, kicked off by my intrepid hubby Mr P when we first met. I was hooked from the first hike and felt safe in his capable boy scout able-to-deal-with-anything-unexpected hands. We've hiked some fantastic places around the world over the years. However, during an early days Yosemite National Park hike, I realised the importance of my style of 'Be Prepared', not just his 'I'll figure it out along the way' kinda approach.
Of all our hikes, I am still in awe of Zion National Park in Utah, seven days and seven challenging, well-researched and prepared-for trails. Angels Landing was the pinnacle and even today looking back on photos fills me with immense personal satisfaction. It reminds me that I can do hard things. Next week I'll share with you a blow-by-blow description of this magnificent adventure.
What's my next fitness challenge?
My over-arching aging goal is Centenarian Olympics, coined by longevity researcher, Dr Peter Attia. With that in mind, I am always looking for role-model Super-Agers to emulate. This week I was inspired by 95-year-old Marion Beulke who only started swimming at 75 and now will win gold in all her events at the Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast this year. It seems all you have to do is outlive any other competitor. Go Marion!
In the 30-year gap between hers and my age, I am sure there will be some sizeable physical challenges to tempt me.
Unfortunately, these days, after climbing my share of mountains, I have to make sure I bring my body along for the ride and not blow it up like I recently shared in Injury Interruptus. These days my challenge is to be ready to be ready for any monster challenge that might strike my fancy in 2023.
Build a Better Brain
Neurosurgeon, Dr Sanjay Gupta, in his book Keep Sharp, outlines a 12-week program to build a better brain at any age. It was once thought that we were born with a finite number of neurons for life. If damaged, they couldn't be replaced; once broken, they become unfixable. However, it is now clear that the brain remains plastic throughout life and can rewire itself in response to experiences. It can also generate new brain cells under the right circumstances. Good to know. Keep your brain plastic is the advice. Use it or lose it as they say.
After a career working in Financial systems, I am keen to maintain my tech skills as I age, frustrating as that is at times.
My latest challenge has been to master leading-edge software that eliminates the need for the files and folders hierarchical structure we cut our teeth on. Have you ever created and filed a Word document only to forget what you named it or where you filed it?
Roam Research is a bi-directional linking informational database configurable to individual needs without a need for coding. Twelve months in and I have wrangled it to work for me. Retraining my brain away from files and folders to a more random linking and tagging system where I can find anything with a simple search or query took some doing; required me to generate some new brain cells.
Signing up for a book club using Roam as the tool was my next challenge. The 8th Roam Book Club would last around 6 weeks, be led by an Aussie Linguistics PhD student in Berlin and instead of reading a book, we would read, analyse and discuss a scientific paper titled, wait for it:
The emergence of collective knowledge and cumulative culture in animals, humans and machines.
So, a collective of people from around the world, studying a paper about collective intelligence; (science is a real-world example of collective knowledge advancing cumulatively), using a single Roam database, aptly called the 'Hive-Mind' by the group, to interact collectively. Phew, Russian dolls come to mind; there was a lot to unpack. In fact, the ultimate aim of the software founder is to facilitate collectives interacting online to discuss any topical issue.
To say I was seriously challenged would be an understatement. Getting up to speed with Zoom calls, using the Roam software, and seriously upping my critical thinking skills was a journey. Another profound pride-in-myself moment for hanging in there for 6 weeks; many didn't. I loved it; my brain loved it. I found my tribe and have a newfound confidence in tackling challenging books and thinking critically. In fact, I have a couple of compelling books that I want to discuss with you in a future post.
I might even consider learning to code. I also signed up to assist the next book club in early 2023.
Consider my brain plasticised!
Spark Creativity
Then there's my creative challenge. I have never considered my analytical mind capable of being remotely creative. So I challenged myself to creative writing and joined a writer's group.
Whoa! You mean I have to let go of my crippling attachment to perfection and embrace vulnerability. But in the few weeks that I have engaged, and coerced myself to remain uncomfortable, an occasional creative idea has popped out, slowly evolving into a short story with the assistance of my group.
I am now challenging you to:
Start your personal challenge today
Start small. Commit to something for ONE month, THIRTY days and see what happens.
More movement like 10,000 steps a day for one month.
A digital detox, using the time to read one new book.
A daily journalling project
Create a legacy by writing your family story.
Create the veggie garden you've been talking about and haven't gotten around to.
Learn to play the ukulele.
Take up chess, join a club
A month is enough to create new habits on your way to a new identity. Who would you like to become? How does Super-Ager sound? It's a thing you know. In fact, Dr Gupta's research says Super-Agers don't act like old folks. They Keep Sharp with good habits, physically, cognitively and creatively.
Drop me a line in the comments to tell me what challenge you set yourself.
Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. - Cicely Tyson