In a Funk? Try These Acts of Self-Defiance
Fellow Riskologist,
Every so often, test your boundaries. To do something you’ve told yourself you couldn’t or that you weren’t ready for. You don’t want to go through life wondering whether you were right about what you were capable of.
Every so often, challenge yourself to accomplish something. To start before you’re ready and finish before you’re sure you’re done. There will always be something in the way of your progress. It’s good practice to learn how to ignore those things and move forward anyway.
Every so often, calculate the odds of success. When you find they aren’t in your favor, throw out the math and do it anyway. There are a million equations that will help you succeed once you’ve started, but no formula will tell you whether or not to get started in the first place. Besides, some things in life are too important to be decided with reason.
Every so often, tell yourself you’re somebody else. Just to make sure it isn’t true. You’ll never know who you really are until explore all the different people you could be. Try on different attitudes and characteristics. See which ones you like and which ones you don’t. As you experiment, your heart will tell you which ones are right. Most won’t work out, but the ones that do will gradually build up over time, leaving you feeling like you’re wearing a tailored suit.
Every so often, learn something new. Just for the hell of it. Actually, do this more than just “every so often.” Get on Wikipedia and look up something you’re curious about. Ask an expert to explain something to you. 90% of all the details will be gone as soon as you learn them, but a few important points will stick. Those points will help shape your life forever.
Every so often, be a little hard on yourself. Demand more. Work harder. Push yourself beyond your comfort zone. You’ll surprise yourself with what you’re capable of, and the next level of excellence will become the new normal.
Every so often, give yourself a break. When something doesn’t go right, figure out why and vow never to make the same mistake. Then, buy yourself an ice cream cone and take the rest of the day off.
Yours in risk-taking,
Founder, Riskology.co