When was the last time you pushed yourself to do something you didn’t normally do? It didn’t happen to me very often in the past. I’ve always had a hard time with change and have a tiny comfort zone.
I’ve changed a lot as a person in the last several years. I’ve pushed myself to do new things and meet new people, placing myself in situations that I would have avoided earlier.
It turns out that pushing oneself may result in a lot of personal development! In this piece, I’ll provide 21 methods to push yourself in order to live your best life, as well as why you should.
Why Should You Challenge With Yourself Every Day?
It’s easy to fall into the trap of living our lives in our comfort zones. For years, I was like that! But I’ve learned the importance of pushing yourself and stepping outside of your comfort zone.
There are several reasons why it is critical to set goals for oneself. To begin with, you’ll learn that you’re capable of things you didn’t realize you were. This is a significant revelation I made about myself. If you only give yourself the chance, you can develop a wide range of abilities.
By pushing yourself, you’ll set new goals for yourself that you would not have considered before. Things that seemed impossible to you before might now be within your grasp.
Sure, you might stay in your comfort zone and never expand your horizons. You can’t get out of it if you don’t want to. But I guarantee you’ll be glad you took the risk!
#1. How to Challenge Yourself to New Heights
I can’t think of a better approach to push yourself than to establish a new goal for yourself and have a solid strategy to achieve it. Setting goals has a tremendous amount of power!
Set a huge goal for yourself if you want to see anything different in your life. Don’t stop there, though! Break down your objective into concrete stages and schedule them on your calendar once you’ve established it.
Check out my full approach to making goals and planning your greatest year ever in this blog article!
#2. Learn to Speak a New Language
Learning a new language is a great way to stretch your mind and broaden your horizons. Even better if you enjoy traveling and can communicate in the languages of some of the countries you’ll be visiting!
When it comes to learning a new language, I recommend starting with the Duolingo program to learn the basics.
#3. Take a Class in Something You’re Interested In
I’m a lifelong learner who enjoys and looks forward to learning new things. However, this is not the case for everyone. Learning something new may be uncomfortable for some individuals.
Taking a class to learn something new, on the other hand, is an incredible experience! First and foremost, you may wind up, like me, starting a business that would never have occurred to you otherwise.
You may also make a new buddy or discover a new favorite pastime!
#4. Make a Bedtime Schedule for Yourself
I dare you to establish a bedtime for yourself, in keeping with the notion of waking up earlier in the morning.
I keep telling myself that I need to get in the habit of getting to bed earlier. But the only time I truly do it is when I set and stick to bedtime for myself.
#5. Getting up earlier in the Morning
It’s a wonderful time to meditate, do yoga, or simply enjoy a cup of coffee before the bustle of the day begins.
It’s also incredible how productive your day can be if you get off to a good start in the morning.
Mornings used to be a nightmare for me. I’d set so many alarms that I’d arrive at work a bit late and anxious. It made such a difference in my productivity and attitude for the day when I finally committed to waking up early and performing a morning ritual!
#6. Reach Out to Someone You Admire
Since establishing a business, I’ve met a lot of people that I admire. People with whom I’d want to contact or have a chat.
I, on the other hand, never did anything about it.
But, after I began reaching out to folks I admired, I was so pleased I did! It was sometimes to seek guidance, and other times to simply say hello and express my appreciation for what they were putting out into the world.
Find someone who is kicking ass at whatever you want to kick ass at and send them an email expressing your admiration! If a relationship doesn’t develop, at the very least you’ll be able to enhance their self-esteem.
#7. For a day, Unplug from Technology
We’ve become so dependant on technology in recent years that it’s almost frightening. Have you ever found yourself picking up your phone and then forgetting why you picked it up in the first place?
We check our phones so many times during the day just out of habit!
We’re not only wasting our time, but we’re also cutting ourselves off from ties with others around us.
I dare you to turn off your phone, computer, and television for a whole day. Instead, concentrate on engaging with others and doing something you wouldn’t typically do, such as reading a book, having a meaningful discussion, or spending time in nature.
#8. Make a Savings Goal for Yourself
Setting a savings goal might be difficult, especially if it requires you to reduce your expenditure in order to achieve your goal. However, you’ll be pleased you pushed yourself in this way in the long run.
When I’m planning a trip or any major cost, I usually want to break it down and figure out how much I need to save each month to accomplish my goal. I can sometimes squeeze it into my existing budget, but it usually necessitates making cuts in other areas.
Check out my full guide on setting a monthly budget if you’re looking to create a savings target for yourself.
#9. Keep a Journal Every day
I used to keep a notebook on a regular basis when I was a youngster. However, as an adult, I battled for a long time to maintain consistency.
Nonetheless, I’ve discovered that journaling on a regular basis, or at least when I’m experiencing a lot of ideas racing through my brain, helps to keep my worry at bay.
Whether you experience a lot of nervous thoughts, I challenge you to start writing in a diary every day, at least until you get a chance to see if it helps you.
#10. Rekindle a Relationship with an Old Friend
We all have old acquaintances that we still consider friends but with whom we don’t communicate very often. It’s often simpler to just let things go rather than put in the effort to rekindle a connection.
As someone who has had the opportunity to reconnect with old acquaintances, I can attest to the fact that it has been an incredible experience! Those individuals were placed in your life for a reason, therefore it’s worth putting in the effort to maintain your connections!
#11. Begin a New Exercise Routine
It’s difficult to stick to a fitness regimen! We have the best of intentions, but after a hard day, we talk ourselves out of it. Alternatively, we might simply forget about it!
Preparing everything ahead of time and making my intentions known has proven to be the most effective method for me to stick to my exercises. For example, if I wanted to perform yoga before work in the morning, I would notify my partner and put out my yoga mat the night before so it would be ready for me in the morning.
I also enjoy utilizing habit trackers to help me keep to a new routine!
#12. Visit a New Location
Many individuals I know go on annual vacations or weekend getaways, but they consistently go to the same place. It’s fantastic if you find a place you love so much that you want to return, but I also believe traveling to new places may be exciting. And who knows, you could just discover a new favorite!
Traveling to different cities, states, and countries has been one of my favorite experiences, and I’m looking forward to seeing more new locations in the future!
#13. Speak with a Stranger
I’m not a particularly sociable person, and I’m usually the one that pulls out my phone to avoid chatting to the stranger sitting next to me or in the elevator with me. It’s not perfect, but hey, I’m trying.
When I remember, I set a goal for myself to meet one new person every now and then. I try to do this especially if I’m going to an event alone that I’m not sure I’ll like. Getting into a chat with someone always helps to relieve the tension!
#14. Get Rid of One Bad Habit
Let’s face it, we all have one or two bad habits we’d like to break.
I understand how tough it is to break a bad habit. I smoked for a long time, and I’m not proud of it! Then, in 2018, I finally gave up. It was one of the most difficult tasks I’ve ever undertaken, but also one of the most gratifying.
James Clear’s book Atomic Habits is my go-to resource for learning about all things habits. In the book, he lays out a step-by-step plan for breaking negative habits and forming new ones!
#15. Make a New Acquaintance
When I graduated from college and moved out of my college town, one of the major differences I noticed was that I no longer had all of my friends. Making new acquaintances is more difficult for me since I’m not particularly extroverted, and it pushes me to put myself out there.
But it’s well worth it! I’ve been so grateful every time I’ve put myself out there and met a new buddy. Making new acquaintances with similar hobbies or interests may be a lot of fun.
#16. Make a New Recipe
To be quite honest, I’m not a very good chef. I’m not bad; I just have no idea what I’m doing in the kitchen. Plus, I’m spoiled since my partner enjoys cooking and prepares all of our meals.
Having said that, every now and then I have the itch to try a new dish for myself. It doesn’t always go as planned, but it’s entertaining and allows me to hone my cooking abilities.
Bonus points if you can truly cook well and use this challenge to improve your culinary skills even further!
#17. Volunteer for a Cause That Matters to You
We all have causes that are important to us, but I’m betting that most of us don’t take the time to volunteer for them. Yes, a monthly contribution is fantastic. But so is volunteering at a local non-profit!
Volunteering not only allows you to give back to your community, but it also allows you to meet new people and perhaps make new friends.
#18. Learn to Meditate
I’d seen individuals I followed on social media gushing about meditation for years. It wasn’t simply self-help blogs that were affected. Every single one of the most successful internet company entrepreneurs I interviewed mentioned their meditation practice.
Then I read Tim Ferriss’ Tribe of Mentors, in which he interviews some of the world’s most successful people. And the topic talked about the value of meditation in interviews after interviews.
My meditation game is still a work in progress, but it’s been a fun challenge, and I’ve noticed a significant difference in the weeks that I meditate regularly.
#19. Inquire for Assistance
Many individuals are afraid of asking for help. Perhaps you, like me, are a perfectionist who is terrified of admitting to someone that you can’t do anything perfectly. Maybe you’re frightened of making a fool of yourself. Or maybe you’re frightened of putting yourself out there and meeting new people. Or you’re frightened of upsetting someone by bringing up your issue.
There are a plethora of reasons why you could resist seeking assistance, but most of us find one. I dare you to seek assistance the next time you are having difficulty with something!
#20. Begin Keeping a Gratitude Journal
I found it difficult to begin a gratitude notebook. First and foremost, I felt it was a bad idea. I didn’t expect it to have any impact on my view on life.
But, more importantly, there are moments when you just want to be negative. You want to concentrate on the things that aren’t working. And it’s unsettling to challenge that by pushing oneself to focus on the positive.
But jotting down things I’m grateful for has had such a positive influence on me, and it can completely change my attitude.
#21. Make a Vision Board for Yourself
At first, look, building a vision board does not appear to be a difficult task. But you’ll see for yourself that it is!
That’s because making a vision board necessitates a number of unpleasant tasks. First and foremost, it challenges you to develop a vision for your future. It may be frightening to establish a vision for what you want your life to look like if you’ve been letting life lead you rather than you leading your life.
Conclusions
There are a plethora of enjoyable methods to push yourself to improve as a person. And the best part about this list is that everyone will discover at least one item on it that they can accomplish! Plus, if you complete a number of them, you’ll get additional points!
As someone who has always been reticent and has a narrow comfort zone, I’ve attempted to stretch myself more as an adult in order to broaden my horizons and break out of my shell.
It has made such a significant impact in my life, and I am confident that it can do the same for you!
Hello from Sporthappy.