Being Brave Enough To Take On A New Challenge

“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones” ~ Confucius 

Taking on any new challenge can often feel like a difficult and daunting prospect since it will probably be way outside our comfort zone.  There are all sorts of adventures and experiences that we might choose to tackle but in fact just making the decision to commit is a pretty big deal in itself.   

In fact, most of us make the decision on a whim and it’s only later on that we start thinking “what on earth have I done” when we realise that it’s probably going to be hard and scary!  

Most of us will suffer from self-doubt, thinking “I can’t do this” and find ourselves listening to all the negative comments from our friends and family… “you’re doing what?” … “don’t be daft you’ll never be able to do that!”  It’s often the fear of the unknown that stops us trying something new, whether it’s a new job, relationship, adventure or challenge, this is quite natural, but it can stop us making a positive change in our life.  Often our biggest personal growth comes from overcoming problems and situations that challenge us. 

In Nelson Mandela’s own words: “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” 

So, if we take the bull by the horns and approach it as we would any other project, if we have a good plan that’s realistic and allows for progression, if we’re patient and consistent, then we will succeed. 

Stepping outside of your comfort zone can be both exhilarating and a little scary all at the same time, but the rewards very often lead to other opportunities and experiences.   

Each new challenge is a personal experience, it’s an intrinsic struggle often coupled with self-doubt and fears. It’s therefore essential to be both physically prepared and mentally ready for each challenge that we set for ourselves.  

The challenge itself can often be tough and perhaps at times uncomfortable, but the reward, the exhilaration of achievement, feelings of self-satisfaction and personal reward…. these are the things that you’ll feel in your soul that will live with you forever.  

New experiences teach us the real meaning of resilience; “bouncing back” from difficult situations and learning from them. It teaches us how to adapt and be mentally stronger by going on to achieve greater success in other challenges from being well prepared, both physically and mentally. 

Resilience is what we all need for new challenges that are outside our comfort zone, but the good news is that we can train to be better prepared.  

Having mental resilience will help you have a more positive outlook and be better able to deal with difficult situations.  

But it takes time to develop new skills, so rather than giving up due to the inevitable setbacks that you’ll encounter, it’s important to learn the skills of ‘keeping on’ and ‘bouncing back’ and maintaining the focus on the bigger picture. This will allow you to ‘rise up’ and give you the resilience you’ll need to achieve your goals, and the added bonus is that these attributes will also empower you for the rest of your life. 

Good luck! 

This article was written by expert running coaches Full Potential.