Challenges and Confidence

When was the last time you did something outside of your comfort zone? What about the last time you did an activity you weren't very good at? If it's been a while, you might be missing out on some hidden benefits. 

I've already written about the value of doing hard things, so I won't repeat myself here. However, I would like to add another aspect to consider.

Consider this: when we do hard things, how might that impact how we view ourselves? How might we view ourselves if we never do hard things?

It's natural to feel a bit unsure or anxious in new or challenging situations. However, if we regularly watch ourselves take on new challenges anyways and notice that we often are able to overcome them, we can learn something valuable about our own competency and resiliency. Doing hard tasks - even poorly - allows us the opportunity to build trust in our future selves and develop a sense of confidence. We learn that we can handle mistakes and we won't be rejected by others for making them. We can begin to trust that no matter the situation, we'll figure it out, learn and grow, and ultimately we'll be okay.

In contrast, if we don't regularly witness ourselves navigating challenging situations, it can be easy for us to assume we aren't capable of doing so. After all, we don't have much evidence to the contrary! This is where anxious thinking and avoidance can kick in, as we attempt to prepare ourselves for situations we assume we can't handle. We lose our resiliency if it never gets tested, and we lose confidence if we never get the opportunity to see ourselves overcoming hard things.

All that said, if you come across a challenge that aligns with who you want to be or the life you want to build, try taking it on! I think this point can be beautifully summarized by the following quote.

"If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced."

- Vincent Willem van Gogh