There’s a saying that goes “If it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you”. 

 

This is true in most areas of life because the human body and brain are designed to learn from stress and adapt to be better able to respond to the same stressors in the future. 

 

This is actually one of the upsides of stress; with the right amount of stress the brain optimises itself for learning. That’s why doing difficult things — things that challenge you — are essential for learning and growth. If you just do things that you are comfortable with, you will plateau at this level. But with challenge comes risk — risk of falling short, risk of emotional exposure, risk of... “failure”. 

 

How do you transform challenges from being risks you would prefer to avoid into being opportunities you embrace with open arms? A key strategy is choosing to view challenges with a growth mindset, where you seen them as opportunities for learning and growth — opportunities that help you move towards your potential. See the stress that they bring as your body and brain preparing you to rise to the challenge and optimise itself for growth. With this mindset, fear of failure is replaced by excitement for the experience and opportunity to move forwards. 

 

It takes courage and repetition, but ultimately, the choice is yours. Embrace challenges and grow from them — you will be better for it.