Most of us can think of things that make us uncomfortable, and just the mere thought of us doing them makes us squirm. Many of us share some common ones, such as speaking in front of a large audience about something personal in our lives, or having a confrontational conversation with one of our best friends, but we have individual ones, too. A friend and I decided to do something that felt uncomfortable every day for 50 days to push ourselves out of our comfort zones and see what few days that doing uncomfortable things paid off. On day 1, I picked up weights in the gym despite dreading doing so. Although that may seem like nothing, it felt like a big deal to me! As a result, I (1) had a way better workout, and (2) felt empowered for not caring who was watching me with my tiny, baby weights. On day 3, I saw a guy I barely knew on a flyer for an internship that sounded cool, so I tracked down his email, asked him if he’d grab lunch with me, and we hit it off! I’m now in the process of applying, and that conversation helped me a lot in the application process.
I kept a journal throughout the challenge, and I was surprised that on Day 5 (super early on), I wrote this:
It’s so important to be bold and take risks. It can change so much for you in a positive way, if you’re careful. It’s been both liberating and thrilling to be bold, and without really trying, I did 4 ‘bold’ things today.
Over time, doing things out of my comfort zone became habitual. I found that I was automatically trying to push myself because I found so much empowerment and joy in doing so! I went to a few random events alone to mingle. I asked questions in a big lecture hall. I went to a random movie screening because it sounded cool. I went out with my friends on a night when I was overly stressed and burnt out from working. I ordered a different (than the usual) roast from a coffee shop (and it was amazing, btw!).
Just by doing things that made me slightly uncomfortable, I met some cool people, found a new favorite drink, better understood confusing concepts in my classes, and as a bonus, I started walking around more confidently because I felt as though I could conquer anything.
There’s a dance to taking risks and being bold. Of course, I think it’s wise to think through things before acting on them, but there is something to be said about living boldly. I’ve found that taking risks (that aren’t reckless) can open a number of doors! Think about what it could do for you: Could you discover your new fave food? Could you resolve a conflict by having a hard convo? Could you discover your self-worth doesn’t lie in your fashion or hairstyle by changing it up for a day? Could you meet a someone who becomes a lifelong friend by introducing yourself to someone? Sure, maybe none of these things will happen, but it’s possible that all of them could.
Image courtesy of Sharon Jurd