Dear riders, today I have great news for you: I am back to the radio again!
Well, Facebook live streaming have been an amazing experience, but video shows required a lot of energies from my side. I was a bit exhausted, I must admit, and I was really looking forward to go back to the radio format.
So, what to say about that? As I shared in this post, it has been a very interesting experience with several up and downs and, after all, a moment of diversion and fun, for me and for my listeners.
I was not used to video shows, and to be honest, I am not very talented at presenting myself. Video shows were not meant for me, I thought. But then I had a lot of fun.
I shared those reflections with you because today I want to talk about the importance of doing something that you are not used to, or feel uncomfortable with. I find it really useful to self-improving.
But it's also a challenge.
For several reasons. Practical limits, and mental blocks.
Human mind... always tricking us!!
Well... let's skip this topic for today, and go straight to the point:
if done in the right way, challenging yourself to do something you are not used to has a lot of benefits.
1. Change your habits.
Let's be honest, sometimes we get too lazy and we need to face some changes in our habits, just because otherwise we'd feel bored, or stuck.
The first, evident benefit of doing new things is that you change your routine. And that's very important for the brain health. When you do something new, or do the same action in a way you were not used to (for example, taking a different road to go to work), new neural connections form in your brain, and that's very important for many reasons.
One of them? It can prevent your brain to get old earlier.
Soo... every time you go to the shop behind the corner, try to reach it from different streets!
2. Improve your skills.
Another important consequence of challenges is that this can lead you to improve your skills. Even better, you can discover new talents you didn't think you have.
A personal example: since I was a teenager, I always wanted to play an instrument, but I never had any contact with music - I just thought I was bad at it. I started taking some guitar lessons and - I must admit that - I didn't like guitar at all. I thought I was not good at that as, after almost two years, I couldn't see any improvement in my musical sensitivity. So I just put music aside and forgot about that until, almost ten years later, I started taking drums lessons. I had a blast!
I really enjoyed them, and I discovered that I'm pretty good at playing drums. I hugely improved my sense of rhythm and my self-confidence in music playing.
But... I felt that I still had something to improve at: melodies, notes, and playing by ear. You don't need that, when you're a drummer! By chance, recently I came across a friend who has a piano and I thought I might give it a try. What I discovered is that I really do like playing piano!
And, most important, after some weeks training, I found out that if I focus enough, I am able to feel the music, not only execute it. That's a great achievement for me that could have never happened if I hadn't decided to challenge myself.
You see? Sometimes you need to explore, before stating that you're not good at something.
Several friends of mine thought they were hopeless at sport because they simply didn't find the sport that was good for them. Maybe they went to the gym a couple of times, played volleyball at high school, or went jogging for one or two years, with not so good results. Then, when they found out that they liked playing tennis, or started taking modern dance lessons, or got interested into martial arts, their approach to sport really changed.
3. Discover new interests.
You might have guessed this from the examples listed above. As I started learning the piano, I found out that I have a renewed interest in music that keeps me wanting learn more, and so did my friends who started a new sport... and I'd have plenty of examples more. It's never too late to get a new hobby!
4. Acquire self-confidence.
Overcoming a challenge is one of the best way to improve your self-confidence.
In fact, knowing that you can face difficulties in your life and overcome your problems, means that you're aware of your strenghts and more conscious about of how to use them. This leads you to feel more confident, and with an improved self-confidence, your ability to overcome new problems increases.
A simple and direct example: when I started making my video shows, I thought it'd be more difficult... I didn't like being in front of a camera at all, but, as I challenged myself to do something I was uncomfortable at and I succedeed, I got aware of new skills and my self-confidence improved.
There comes the challenge.
As I said before, challenging yourself is itself a challenge. Why?
Well, there come a lot of psychological resistances and mental blocks.
It would be very complicated topic, so let's cut it short and say that... we're lazy to challenge ourselves.
But, as I explained today, when we manage to do something that makes us feel uncomfortable, we experience an increase in self-esteem, gratitude, happiness and feel more motivated to do more.
So, I think we really might try to overcome our laziness, it is for a good cause!
So, was this article helpful? Did you found out that you've been lazy lately? What's the challenge you want to face today?
Feel free to share it in a comment!
Hugs,
Claudia