Challenge Accepted

I've always been drawn to doing new things, specifically when it comes to challenging myself to attain a goal. I guess a better statement to start off with is that I have always been goal-oriented. Setting a goal, and meeting said goal, genuinely makes me feel good.

I feel accomplished.

I feel more confident.

I feel encouraged that I can do things that are hard.

I've done many personal challenges throughout the years. It has ranged from attending a silent retreat where I did not speak to anyone for seven days, a 52-hike challenge where my dog and I sought out to try 52 new trails in a year (we ended up doing over 100) to the personal one-year challenge in 2023 that included learning how to sew, country dance, eat vegetarian, participate in an athletic strength training challenge and learning about God.

I heard the founder of Promix, Devon Levesque, say that every year he does one hard thing a year. That was a goal he set for himself and since then, has done many incredible things. For him, those things look like climbing Mount Everest or bear crawling in a marathon. But what is a goal for one person to grow could look completely different for someone else. However, there is one thing that is common amongst anyone pursuing a goal - it is to stretch oneself in a way to grow. Sometimes that is intentionally seeking that feeling and in other circumstances, it happens without our consent - it finds us.

Each personal pursuit of doing something new or different has led me to grow in different ways. Putting myself in unknown situations by choice has allowed me to realize some universal truths that are consistent across any challenge that is pursued.

1. Humility is right around the corner of our choices - There is nothing more humbling than going into a new situation where you are surrounded by others who have more experience and skills than you. This was primarily evident in situations where I wanted to learn a new hobby that required experience, like dancing or sewing. It did not matter that I was fully skilled in other hobbies, sports or had training somewhere else- coming in completely green always highlights the fact that we can easily get into situations where we are at the bottom of the totem pole.

   
   

2. Success and growth is a state of mind - Who you are is shown in the unknown spaces where skill (and will) do not determine your success. There is not enough effort that can lead you to growing deep roots when challenged in the unknown. Only faith, consistency and discipline will lead you there. Faith comes in the form of courage and trust that each day is an opportunity to step in the right direction towards your goal. Consistency comes in the form of showing up daily, whether we want to or not, to move closer to those goals. Finally, discipline comes in the form of a mindset and belief that there are no other options other than to acheive your identified goals and having a posture of determination, clarity and focus. Challenges are no longer seen as obstacles; they are welcomed and sought after. The perspective lined by discipline creates the drive and focus that turns faith into a deep knowing. Consistency ends up being the manifestation of our mindset and faith comes from a heart that knows what we seek, we will find.

   
   

3. Becoming vs. achieving is the goal - It is easy to get focused on the details and the outcomes of pursuing a challenge. I fall for that trap myself in different ways and across different challenges. I can speak for myself and say that it is so easy to focus on the rules that it can quickly turn legalistic when lacking insight and purpose. We can get goal-oriented while losing perspective of why we began the challenge to begin with; which was to grow, learn and connect to ourselves more deeply and authentically. The goal is to become more aware, attuned and aligned with who we were designed to be from the very start. Can we learn to have a child-like posture where we experience the world with curiosity and play? Can we have fun? Can we take things as they are and not get too serious about the results being perfect? Can we try something new and find joy in the small wins of learning the basics?

What if the goal was never to achieve anything?

What if the goal was to become less (less human-led, less self-serving, less grandstanding) so that who we really are, our soul (the one that was designed in the image of God), becomes more (more spirit-led, selfless, more willing to raise up and encourage others)?

So do something hard or uncomfortable every day.

Perhaps that is the challenge - keep it sweet and simple.

Maybe it is pursuing a new hobby, eating healthier, saying yes (or maybe saying no) to opportunities...whatever it may be, I encourage you that in your efforts of becoming more authentically aligned with God's purpose that you discover a part of you that can only be accessed by the challenges you pursue and persevere through.

So I leave you with this...what is one thing you can do that will push you out of your comfort zone and closer towards becoming a deeper version that is waiting on the other side of your willingness to be challenged?