In this mini-series, Ben Aldridge shares a selection of challenges that can be used to get out of your comfort zone. If you want to experience personal growth, there’s nothing quite like a self-imposed challenge to help you achieve this. Challenges can teach us valuable lessons, build confidence and help us to bring adventure and colour into our lives.
In this mini-series, I’m going to share with you a selection of challenges that can be used to get out of your comfort zone. If you want to experience personal growth, there’s nothing quite like a self-imposed challenge to help you achieve this. Challenges can teach us valuable lessons, build confidence and help us to bring adventure and colour into our lives.
March – trying something new
This month is all about trying new things. Spring is filled with new beginnings, particularly in the natural world, so the challenges this time round reflect this. What better time than Spring to begin a series of new and adventurous pursuits? Exactly!
Trying new and unfamiliar things is a great way to get out of your comfort zone. It’s relatively simple – you literally just need to find an unfamiliar activity and you’re good to go! There are so many things to choose from and you can be as creative as you like with this.
When you first try something new it can often feel challenging. This can be down to many factors but one of the key ones is that it’s easy to dislike things that we aren’t good at. This is very normal. When we try something for the first time, we have a higher chance of not being good at it. Thus, we might have apprehension about trying new things. Deliberately seeking out the new and the novel directly challenges this idea.
When you begin exploring the unfamiliar, you bring colour and adventure into your life. Surely not a bad thig?! There is also the potential for learning more about yourself in the process. So, bonus points there, too.
Let’s put these ideas to the test and look at how you can actually start trying new things.
Challenges ideas:
- Try a new sport
There are so many sports and physical activities to try. Pick something you haven’t ever done before and give it a try. Stand up paddle boarding? Climbing? Horse riding? You have plenty of options.
- Learn a new skill
Pick a new skill and invest some time in learning it. You don’t have to take it to an advanced level, but you can certainly have fun grappling with the basics. Origami? Pen spinning? Juggling? You also have plenty of options with this type of challenge.
- Read a book from an unfamiliar genre
Pick a book from a genre that you wouldn’t normally read. Nonfiction and Fiction have tons of subcategories to choose from so go for something that’s unusual for you. Try to surprise yourself.
- Go somewhere new
This is easy – visit a place that you’ve never been to before. It doesn’t have to be thousands of miles away and can simply be somewhere local that you haven’t ever visited.
- Listen to unfamiliar music
Pick a genre of music that you don’t ever listen to and commit to listening to a popular album from it. Metal? Country? Opera? There are so many genres for you to explore!
These challenges are perfect for getting out of your comfort zone in a fun and effective way. The simple act of trying new things can be a very powerful stepping stone for tackling bigger and bolder things in life. And who knows what you’ll learn and who you’ll meet along the way…
I wish you the best of luck when trying new things and hope you discover something interesting and exciting.
Catch up on
Kindred Spirit's Facebook Live with Ben Aldridge here.
About the Author
Ben Aldridge writes about practical philosophy, comfort zones, mental health and adventure. He is the author of
How to Be Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable and the
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone Cards. For more information on how to connect with Ben, visit www.benaldridge.com, Instagram: @dothingsthatchallengeyou
