Why should you challenge yourself?
What are the benefits of challenging yourself? You might work all hours. You might be exhausted from parenting or juggling parenting with a job. You might have hit the joys of menopause and the resulting fatigue. You might have a long commute. What can a challenge bring you?
- You can find out things you never knew about yourself
- You can find a new focus
- You can discover new skills
- You might give yourself “something else” in your life
- You might be stuck in a career rut or a job you hate. You might be trying to re-enter the job market or find your first job. A job takes up such a large part of your life and finding those skills could enable you to find a job you really want.
How to Challenge Yourself
- Set a goal for yourself. It doesn’t have to be big and you can break it up into smaller chunks or aim to achieve something within a certain amount of time.
- Consider learning another language through adult education or online learning.
- Take a class in something that interests you, for fun. It could be art, pottery, jewellry making or maybe woodwork or car maintenance. This is a great way to meet new people too with similar interests.
- If qualifications weren’t important to you in earlier life, consider taking a qualification as an adult whether online, in evening or daytime classes at your local adult education center.
- Improve those skills for work with adult education classes in how to use a computer, packages such as word and excel. Consider a touch typing course that will help you with speed and accuracy in the workplace and which is a recognisable skill.
- Consider an earlier bedtime. How many of you stay up late at night to get some “me time” only to end up tired and unmotivated in the morning? A decent night’s sleep will help you to feel more refreshed and ready to go! (Note this may not be possible with small children, I know).
- Save up for a rainy day or special occasion/event.
- Reconnect with an old friend.
- Start a new fitness regime; this can be a walking workout such as “get fit with Rick” on youtube which is fun but not too hard on the joints! There are so many different workouts on YouTube which are free! Or find some time to get away from screens and get some positive endorphins from a walk outdoors. Consider getting an inexpensive pedometer so you can challenge yourself to do a certain amount of steps a day.
- Think about travelling somewhere new on holiday to experience new cultures and languages.
- Try to break a bad habit – try cutting down little by little.
- Declutter – try to get rid of those clothes you never wear or those belongings that you never use. The sense of happily adding to wardrobes and cupboards rather than cramming them in, waiting for something to fall on your head is great!
- Search for new recipes on the internet or your local book/charity shop.
- Find yourself struggling? Reach out to your GP or friends and family for support.
Challenges can be large and small, but sometimes it is great to plan something “just for you”, whether a new activity or just a change for the better at home.
For more about Type IT! if you fancy a touch typing challenge, see https://www.touchtypeit.co.uk/
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