Ask any successful person about achieving success and they will all agree that it is important to be willing to challenge and change yourself for continued success. In fact, let’s go one step further and say we need to;
Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable. This Is How We Break The Plateau And Reach The Next Level.
Not so long ago I watched a webinar about running an online business. The guy running the webinar stated that if people are not feeling uncomfortable in some way running their business, then they are not putting in enough effort.
Side note: I must say, not too many days go by where discomfort does not set in when learning to run an online business from scratch. It just goes with the territory, like starting any new job.
Deciding to start your own online business can be a challenge in itself, especially when it involves having to choose between the numerous amounts of online marketing education providers out there. It’s especially challenging when you do not meet the online providers in person. Trust can become an issue.
Then, once you get started, you’ll come across numerous different challenges – trust me, I’ve been there, and continue to go there. There’s so much to learn, not to mention the fact you may need to push yourself to do things that you would never do otherwise (eg videoing yourself and expressing yourself to everyone out there on internet land). There will definitely be personal barriers to overcome.
Believe it or not, I am not trying to deter you from starting your online marketing journey. In fact, I’d like to inspire you to get started. You see, becoming an entrepreneur is not something we are not born to be good at, it’s something we learn. So if we can learn to embrace the challenges presented to us whilst learning how to run an online business, then we will be better equipped for success.
So that is my intention behind this blog. I want to help you achieve success so you can live the life you desire. That success requires the ability to face challenges.
What is a challenge? According to the Collins English Dictionary, a challenge is something new and difficult which requires great effort and determination. Challenges can be different for everyone. Some may find it challenging to video themselves for a live Facebook post while others may find it more of a challenge publishing a blog they have spent hours writing.
Let’s Take A Look At Why We Should Embrace Challenge
1. Challenges Provide Us With Motivation and Happiness
Whilst working in the fitness industry I came across many clients who chose to participate in such things as fun runs, bike riding events, open water swimming events, and bodybuilding comps for the simple fact that these events gave them the motivation they needed to train consistently. That’s because a lack of motivation in any area of our lives can lead to boredom, dissatisfaction, and a pretty dull existence.
This is especially the case when concerning a stable but unmoving job. Those sorts of jobs create thoughts of “nothing will ever change” – which is not very inspiring at all.
That’s why it is so important that people challenge themselves, be that at work, or at play. Challenges create the motivation needed to bring some zest into our lives.
Thanks to starting my online marketing journey, I am filled with a lot more motivation, a new sense of purpose, and even a greater sense of fulfilment. Sure, I’ve faced challenges, but as I move past them I feel a great sense of achievement which definitely improves my general state of well-being.
2. Conquering Challenges Increases Confidence
The more challenges people are able to overcome, the more they will believe in their ability to overcome future ones. People end up moving from self-belief to “self-knowing”. It’s great to “know” you can achieve anything when you put your mind to it, isn’t it? Because self-knowing eliminates any negativity that surrounds your ability to succeed with any challenges you face.
How To Deal With Challenges?
The Only Way To Face A Challenge Is To Face It Head on.
There’s no other way around it. It’s about becoming present, because, challenges can only be dealt with in the moment. And then it’s about “the knowing”. How great does it feel to know that at any given moment you can do anything? I’m sure you’ve faced many challenges in the past that you have overcome. Use those successes as positive reinforcement of your ability to conquer any challenge.
An imprtant point to remember when facing any challenge is to keep things in the present by breaking the challenge down to a step by step process. When people focus on what they need to do one step at a time, that’s when success is achieved.
People need to remember to slow down and take things step by step.
Take it from the tortoise perspective – slow and steady wins the race.
Being in a hurry will hinder success. Challenges tend to defeat people when they get ahead of themselves, and especially if they decide to cut corners.
View Challenges As Opportunities
It’s important not to allow fear to control or limit your potential. It’s a tough one to overcome for many, yours truly included. In fact, I used to avoid challenges as a way of avoiding possible failure because I used to be very hard on myself – which brings me to my next point, having compassion for yourself.
Never give yourself a hard time when you perceive yourself as failing. Success, and failure, are both a part of your success journey. Most people need to get past thinking of failure as a negative aspect of achieving success. Failure creates success. When people learn what not to do, they move closer to learning what to do.
In fact, experiencing failure is a natural part of learning. You had to fall over many times before you learned to walk. You had to pronounce words incorrectly before learning how to pronounce them correctly (like saying ephalent instead of elephant or pasketti instead of spaghetti – or was that just me lol). Making mistakes truly is a natural way to learn. As Thomas J Watson (the Founder of IBM) expressed, the formula for success is to double your rate of failure.
“The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure” Sven Goran Eriksson.
BY EMBRACING CHALLENGE YOU EMBRACE & CREATE OPPORTUNITY
Be Aware Of Your Feelings
It may seem easier to ignore them and push them aside but we need our emotions. They guide us. As far as the challenges of my online marketing journey go, my thoughts may not have always been the most positive, but I always felt as though I was following the correct path. That feeling helps to keep going through the tough times.
Remember To Have Gratitude And Celebrate Your Successes
You faced a challenge, be that one you created for yourself, or an unexpected one. You did whatever you had to do in the moment, and you achieved a successful outcome. Be thankful for the experience, it has made you stronger. Celebrate your success, you deserve to. In fact, it’s important that you do. Why? Yes, it acts as positive reinforcement, but also, when you celebrate your successes, you demonstrate to the Universe that you enjoy celebrating successes. The Universe then says, “O.K. you like celebrating your success, let’s give you more reasons to celebrate your success”. It’s the Law of Attraction/Creation in action.
So, in essence, what I am saying is that when you celebrate your successes, the Universe gives you more reasons to celebrate successes. Pretty cool huh!
Here’s A Practical Exercise You Can Use Called “Black Dot, White Page”.
- Draw a big black dot in the middle of a piece of white paper.
- Write all of your problems and concerns about an issue at hand around the black dot.
- Keep writing until all fears are exhausted.
- Now, take a clean white page and write down possible solutions to each one of those problems and concerns.
- Look over your list of solutions. You may actually find potential in one of them.
Find Facing Challenges Stressful?
The more challenges you face, or choose to take on, the less stress you’ll feel because you will build up your own “immunity” to any possible stress you feel when facing a challenge. As your “immunity” builds, so too does your ability to deal with even greater challenges.
If you are not used to facing challenges, it may be a good idea to set yourself up with a small one to overcome first. When you achieve your success at overcoming that small challenge, a similar challenge will not seem as stressful to you anymore. That’s when it’s time to take on an even greater challenge.
Sure, it may seem stressful to face or take on new challenges, but certain levels of stress can be good for us. There’s actually such a thing as positive stress. We often come up with new solutions to the challenges we face when we are a little stressed and need them most – not when we are comfortable.
According to an article by Susan Knowlton, The Positive Effects Of Stress, positive stress is motivating, improves brain function and increases physical performance and endurance.
Already A-Pro At Challenging Yourself?
Then maybe it’s time to expand your mind. Thanks to the internet, practically anyone can learn anything online from playing an instrument to ancient history. What about a new physical challenge like attending dance lessons or starting weight training. I’m sure there are plenty of things you can choose to do to challenge yourself. Remember no challenge = no growth. No growth = stagnation. Stagnation leads to a pretty low existence.
Final Words:
- The more challenges you face the more you get used to dealing with them, to a point where you are no longer affected by the anxiety or doubt that may have once felt overwhelming. This leads to the ability to face fears that could have once prevented you from reaching your full potential.
- By pushing your boundaries and moving past comfort zones you become more flexible, sharper and confident.
- The more you can challenge yourselves in various ways, the happier and more successful your life will be.
- It’s inevitable, starting and growing an online business will constantly throw various challenges your way, but, if you can jump the hurdles of challenges you set for yourself, then you’ll feel a lot more confident and capable of facing any unexpected challenges that get thrown your way.
- You’ll be thankful for being a stronger/better person once you face your challenges and move past them.
- You’ll be more likely to achieve success with your online business when you are able to both create challenges for yourself and face challenges that will present themselves throughout your online journey.