Inspiration

How to Choose the Right Challenges

By April 15, 2010 One Comment

Good morning.

I’ve had a little bit of a crazy week, with a very intense back and forth trip from San Francisco to Phoenix on Sunday. I haven’t quite recalibrated, caught up on sleep, or found my writing self again.

How are you doing this week? I feel out of touch!

This morning I have a guest post up over at The Change Blog. I feel so passionate about the topic of this piece I just want to get up on a soapbox and talk to everyone about it!

The piece is about challenge, what kinds of challenges serve us, and what kinds don’t. It’s about a mistake that I see people making again and again: thinking that challenges will help them grow, get stronger, get better — but picking the kinds of challenges that really only batter their souls.

The point of view I’ve arrived at here is hard-won from many long chats on the couch with friends, as we debated questions like these in their lives and mine:

Should I take the prestigious job with the unfriendly corporate culture and boss whose work style is the opposite of mine, because I’d get a thick skin and learn to work in these kinds of “real-world” environments?

Should I “balance out” my resume and my strengths in creative thinking by taking a job that is really about linear, left-brain execution? Or should I do more creative thinking-focused work?

Should I choose the grad school program that sounds demanding and scary or the one that feels comfy and that makes me exhale a sigh of relief?

Please join me over there today, and share your thoughts and experience on this topic. I’m really curious to hear what you think about this.

Love,

Tara

Join the discussion One Comment

  • toliveinspired says:

    I read the challenge post.. All I can say is WOW.. this was an amazing post.. I faced a leap challenge recently.. I am creating an online workshop and I kept putting off the date and dressing up my fear and excuses in legit “clothing” .. Finally I decided to leap ( though with internal guidance) into setting and blogging about the launch date.. Not to keep it inside where it was all cozy and “safe”.. It’s so true though I have found myself in both situations , but not really knowing it.. Great post!

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