Feeling Stuck or Bored? Take On a New Challenge

It’s snowy/sleety/icy here today. I spent an hour and a half shoveling slush from my walks and driveway (bonus: I got a killer workout). The groundhog has officially declared six more weeks of winter. (I live in New England, where we realistically have more like 8-10 more weeks of winter. Not that I’m counting.) We’re in that long dreary pre-spring time where nothing much seems to be happening, which is especially true in this ongoing pandemic. 

Thus, it is the perfect time to start a new Challenge. I am currently doing two ongoing ones: The Miracle Morning 30 Day Challenge, and the Creative Mornings 100 Days Challenge (to create something in your medium of choice every day for 100 days). I also entered one Vocal.media writing challenge, and plan to do more. 

To be honest, I hadn’t planned on doing any Challenges. But doing these Challenges has reminded me of the power of Challenges to motivate us, and boost our productivity even during the dullest months of the year. I am capitalizing the word Challenge in this context to emphasize the positive, deliberate nature of choosing to do a Challenge where you commit to something for a certain period of time – something that is challenging, certainly, but not unwelcome. You could even have a Challenge to enter three Challenges in the next three months, if you wanted!

Why are Challenges so powerful?

1.     They force you to commit. You choose a Challenge, you set the goal and the timeline (or accept the ones set for you), and you’re in. It’s up to you to figure out how to keep the Challenge a priority. Make sure it’s achievable, but a stretch. Is it a sprint, or a marathon? How will you keep yourself motivated?  

Fun fact: British comedian Eddie Izzard chose the Challenge of running a marathon every day in January, and then doing a comedy gig that night. The only exception was January 31, when she ran two marathons in a row and didn’t do the gig. For the record, she’ll be turning 59 on Feb. 7. She was running to #MakeHumanityGreatAgain and raise money for charity, but that is like a Mt. Everest of Challenges.

2.     They are fun. At least, I think they should be, especially if they are creative Challenges. Creative work is hard enough without choosing something you actively dread doing. I doubt Eddie thought running 32 marathons was fun, but she was doing it for a cause, which was its own motivation. That said, if you want to do yours for charity, go right ahead! Perhaps you can raise money for a local arts or writing organization. You can ask people to chip in to support you along the way, or make it so they only pay if you succeed in finishing. It’s a great way to have internal and external motivation. 

3.     They can be done alone or in community. I am doing both. The Miracle Morning Challenge I’m doing alone but I have become a part of the Facebook community and check in from time to time. The Vocal Challenges are purely alone, and I can choose how often I want to compete. The #100DaysChallenge I am also doing alone but also with the Creative Mornings Boston community. My challenge is to write every day for 100 days, but journaling doesn’t count. Others are doing miniature paintings, sketching, collaging, knitting, photography… you name it. One person started the challenge back in 2018 and is currently over the 700+ day mark. Your community can help keep you accountable and commiserate when things get, well, challenging. They can also cheer you on to the finish!

4.     They give a sense of accomplishment. Especially if you complete the Challenge fully, of course, but even if you don’t, you get a sense of what prevented you, and how you might overcome such obstacles in the future. Was it mental? Physical? Due to external factors out of your control? How hard did you really try? If you didn’t give it your all, why not? No shame here. It’s about getting real with yourself, and understanding your motivations and limitations better. Which limitations are self-imposed? What would you like to do about that?

5.     You fast-track your goals. This can be one of the most important benefits, especially if you’ve been wavering in your commitment lately, or if you are just starting out with a particular goal. It doesn’t have to take over your life, like Eddie’s did. Even if it’s a small goal – write 15 minutes a day for 100 days – you will be amazed at how much you accomplished with one solid commitment. 250 words per day for 100 days equals 25,000 words. That’s a respectable start to a novel (or half of a typical middle-grade novel). If 100 days is too daunting, choose a shorter time. Or you could go all-in and draft an entire novel in that time. Or try the 12x12 Picture Book Challenge to complete 12 picture books in 12 months. 

It doesn’t have to be a writing challenge. Many things feed your creativity besides writing, and in fact doing something other than writing can help get you out of a writing slump. Ideas might be to: 

• Take a walk outside for ____ minutes for ____days

• Read a book (I did a Kindle reading Challenge in January. Gretchen Rubin has a Challenge to read 21 minutes per day in 2021)

• Actually take a weekly Artist Date for a certain number of weeks – make a list of possible ones, and schedule them!

• Sketch, take a photograph, or do some other creative medium 

• Be able to do 100 pushups in 100 days (or situps, or whatever exercise you like)

• Bake or cook a new recipe every week for ____ weeks

• Study a language for ____ minutes a day for ____ days

You get the idea. 

Finally, don’t forget your reward! What will you give yourself once you have completed your Challenge? Maybe the satisfaction of having accomplished it will be its own reward. If it’s a particularly big Challenge though, you should think about something commensurate with that achievement: a nice dinner out (or these days, brought in), a spa day or overnight getaway, a new piece of tech you’ve had your eye on… it should be something out of the ordinary, to signal your accomplishment. 

Who knows? You may find it so motivating you want to make it a way of life. If you get into the 100-day Challenge idea, you may want to check out The Freedom Journal, which helps you set long-term goals and track your progress.

Just remember, a Challenge can be anything you like. Join one that sounds inspiring, create one with your friends, or commit to one on your own. Then get started. 

Have you done a Challenge recently? In the middle of one? Want to be part of a Set Your Muse on Fire Challenge in the future? Let me know in the comments!