{"id":103742,"date":"2023-05-24T15:19:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-24T19:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=103742"},"modified":"2023-05-31T09:12:25","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T13:12:25","slug":"benefits-of-challenging-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-challenging-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits of Challenging Yourself: Reach Your Full Potential"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What are your limits? How often do you test them? Why should you push them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In The Comfort Crisis<\/em>, Michael Easter argues that the cozy conveniences of the Western world harm our health and happiness<\/a> by depriving us of challenges that our ancestors regularly faced. He recommends that we push ourselves to our limits and enjoy the results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to discover the profound benefits of challenging yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Benefits of Challenging Yourself<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the ways comfort holds us back is by making us hesitant to challenge ourselves and discover our full potential. Because of this, many of us don\u2019t feel tested, which is linked to psychological issues such as anxiety and depression<\/a>. On top of that, when we don\u2019t push our limits, we never discover our full potential. We\u2019ll break down this issue by explaining why we rarely dare to step out of our comfort zones and the negative effects this has. To remedy this problem, we\u2019ll explain how embracing challenges helps you feel happy, confident, and more resilient. You might be surprised to learn some of the benefits of challenging yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why We\u2019re Hesitant to Challenge Ourselves<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Easter explains that we limit ourselves with restrictive comfort zones because we evolved to have a disproportionate fear of failure<\/a><\/strong>. For most of human history, failure often meant death. For example, if you failed to successfully run down prey, you might starve. However, today\u2019s failures rarely have serious consequences. For example, if you fail to complete the marathon you\u2019re running, you\u2019re unlikely to lose your partner, shelter, or food to survive. Therefore, Easter argues that our fear of failure isn\u2019t as applicable to our modern circumstances and it instead limits us from doing things that can make our life more meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In Discipline Equals Freedom<\/em><\/a>, Jocko Willink claims that, like Easter, fearing failure can stop you from acting at all. <\/strong>His solution: <\/strong>fear stagnation more than failure<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> Imagine in days, weeks, or years from now, being no closer to your goal or the best version of yourself. Let the fear of all of this wasted time and potential spur you into action. Building on Willink\u2019s solution to fear stagnation more than failure, consider using this \u201ctime travel\u201d thought exercise<\/a> to remedy your fear of failure. With this exercise, you\u2019ll imagine the future<\/a> consequences of your actions now in order to make better decisions<\/a> for your future self<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Challenging Ourselves Helps Us Feel Happy and Grow<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Easter says that we all crave to be challenged and transformed. Challenges that test our physical and mental capacity help us feel happy, confident, and more resilient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you push yourself<\/a> beyond your perceived limits, you give yourself a boost in confidence <\/strong>because you prove to yourself that you can go further than you previously thought. In this way, any future challenges seem more conquerable. Furthermore, people with a history of struggle demonstrate more resilience when faced with new challenges<\/strong>. Easter cites one study that tested the pain tolerance of participants by having them hold their hands in ice water. The study found that participants who had experienced some hardship in life found the pain more tolerable than participants that experienced no hardship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In Stoic philosophy, challenges are made more manageable by viewing them as opportunities for self-improvement<\/a>. In The Obstacle Is the Way<\/em><\/a>, Ryan Holiday explains that identifying silver linings will help you overcome whatever adversity you face because your perception of a situation determines the quality of your response to the problem. For example, if you feel intimidated by a dream job<\/a> offer because you think you\u2019re hopelessly incapable of performing to the standard it requires, you might not try it at all. On the other hand, if you embrace the job offer as an opportunity to improve yourself to meet the standards of the company, you\u2019ll be more likely to take meaningful action.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comfort Remedy: Go on a Challenging Adventure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here are Easter\u2019s tips to embark on a transformational challenge:<\/p>\n\n\n\n