“Do one thing every day that scares you.” This is a quote attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, but there’s actually no documentation of her saying it. Regardless, it’s an interesting thought. I decided to listen to this advice for a week and reflect upon it. I didn’t want to jump out of planes or go skinny dipping; I wanted to do this challenge in a more realistic and potentially helpful way.
Day 1 – I had a phone interview: This is what catalyzed the idea for this article. I had a phone interview for an internship, and although I’ve done face-to-face interviews before, I’ve never done one over the phone. Personally, phone calls in general freak me out. I don’t get facial cues from the person speaking, so it’s harder to interpret what they’re saying. I was incredibly nervous before it, and afterward I was still a little giddy. I’m not sure how I got through, but the important thing was that I did it. I don’t know if I’m ever going to be the type of person who jumps up at the opportunity to make a phone call, and thinking about another phone interview still freaks me out.
Day 2 – I held my ground: To keep a long story short, I run and plan events for an organization on campus. My job involves overseeing all elements of an event, from the planning process to running it the day of. During this particular event, a company that my team hired had not showed up on time, and additionally, did not bring us our full order. When they tried to tell me that we had not ordered what we needed, I held my ground and calmly explained to them that we had sent in an email and had gone to their offices to confirm. As someone who normally hates confrontation, it was scary for me to do, but in the end, I felt stronger. I’m still not comfortable confronting people face-to-face (and honestly, I probably would have gotten my co-director to handle this one had he not been occupied), but at least I know I did it.
Day 3 – I went to class in sweatpants: Though this may seem trivial, this is something I rarely do. I’ve always been concerned about what others think of me, and even though I won’t dress up for class every day, I’ve always had a “no sweatpants” policy. But after running an event the day before, I was super exhausted and decided that I might as well break my rules. No one said anything to me or judged me, from what I could notice anyway. I felt a little self conscious at first, but eventually as the day went on, I totally forgot about what I was wearing. I don’t know if I’ll do it again, but I know that no one really cares either.
Day 4 – I rocked a new look: When I was younger, I was always told that I didn’t look good with my hair up. My face was too fat, my cheeks were too chubby — it just didn’t look good. I usually just put my hair up if I’m studying or if my hair feels gross. Sometimes, I’ll put my hair up, but I’ll always leave a few pieces down in the front in order to make my face look thinner. But as I was getting ready to go out the night of Day 4, I suddenly really wanted to put my hair in a sharp ponytail — high on my head, no loose bangs to frame my face. I got a ton of compliments about how I looked and I think I might be doing this one more often.
Day 5 – I tried a new restaurant: Don’t get me wrong; normally I am totally down for trying new restaurants and new foods. But this happened to be Valentine’s Day, and I didn’t want to risk ruining Valentine’s Day because of a bad dinner, but my boyfriend insisted the place was good. It was a Chinese restaurant, which I’m always picky about because I’m half Chinese, but I agreed to go. Once I saw the menu, I knew I had made the right choice. They served a very traditional dish I was excited to eat because I don’t often get to.
Day 6 – I got a new computer: Though getting a new computer might seem all good, I am an incredibly nostalgic person, and my old computer and I have been through so much together. I definitely needed a new laptop, though. I’m in a software engineering class, and during our first group project meeting, my old laptop totally flipped out and couldn’t handle anything. I ordered a new one the day of the project, and it was coming today (Day 6) in the evening. As the day crept on, I was super anxious. Did I really need a new laptop? My old laptop meant so much to me. It was covered in stickers, it had a name and it had been with me since the end of high school. I went through a few emotional rollercoasters. I know it seems ridiculous, but I get incredibly sentimental about objects that mean a lot to me. When the new computer finally came and I started using it, I realized this was what I had to do. It was the end of an era and the start of a new computer. One that could open more than one Internet browser without crashing. I know the next time I get a new computer, I will undoubtedly go through the same emotional turmoil as I did with this one, but it’s just like with the first heartbreak — every subsequent one gets easier.
Day 7 – I called my future landlady: I started this list off with a phone call, and here I end with another. It’s almost poetic. My living situation next year isn’t through an official real estate company or an apartment complex. I’m basically “inheriting” my friend’s place, which is leased directly through its owner. The landlady knows that my future roommate and I are moving in, but we’ve never talked to her directly. We decided we needed to talk to her, just to at least “meet” each other and let her know officially that we will be her new tenants. I was a bit hesitant — not only because of the aforementioned phone fear, but also because I wasn’t sure how the conversation would go. What if she just shut us down? What if she was super judgmental about the situation, considering that I’m living with a male friend of mine? The call lasted about five minutes, in which, after we introduced ourselves, she said we’d definitely be in touch and wanted to clean the place up before we move in. That was all I needed for reassurance. Hopefully I’ll get more comfortable with talking to her on the phone, but that was definitely a much-needed first step.
It was definitely an interesting week. Though there are a lot of things I will do again, there’s a lot that I’d rather not try even one more time. At least now I know I have the capability to do the things that scared me.
Photo Credit: static.panoramio.com