Challenge yourself and Grow! Take the challenge and join Wealthy Affiliate!

Take the challenge and join Wealthy Affiliate!

To grow we need to challenge ourselves.

To get out of that comfortzone we are so used to operate in we need to challenge ourselves. I promised myself I would challenge myself more this year, because I want to grow. But How?

When was the last time you really challenged yourself?

I got this question in one of the challenges I attended.

5 years ago I said yes to build a local search an rescue team because I was the only one in this small voluntary local branch who had the qualifications. So I took the challenge.It is a huge responsibility and task.

However I did not feel I was qualified enough for such a task, because I lacked prevoius experience. I had the courses only, but I had never trained a whole team from the ground before. I was not sure if I could even do it.

I used 2 years to organize, educate and train this voluntary local team. Me and the leader of the branch. He was a nurse and had the health expertise, but lacked the courses I had in search and rescue. It was a huge task. My only experience were the courses and some real search missions as a person on the ground.

We got good help from neighboor branches. And the day came where we had to make a test to get officially approved as a national search and rescue team connected to the national search and rescue central. I was going to put my skills to the test for real in this exercise.

I felt the pressure, expectations and the responsability. I had to pass the test or two years of practice was wasted. We would have to wait another year to make a new test. Would I be capable of leading my team through this test? What if I failed?

The morning before the challenge

I remember I woke up that morning feeling really awful. My whole stomach went inside out. I could almost not breathe. I was so nervous.

I said to myself. What have you done?

I told my mentor - I just cannot possibly do this - You need to find someone else.

He said- I have faith in you Hilde - You can do this. I will be right by your side all the time.

My mentor had been a former military trainer and was a well known figure as a search and rescue leader. He was known for his very clear communication skills and had huge authority in this field. I jumped into it - I did some self talk and told myself over and over again. You can do this Hilde! Do not think - Just do it!

The challenge

It all started out fine. I had set my intentions and was in a good mood. My two teams were sendt out with a mission to find three youths that was "missing." Note* This was not a real rescue operation, but an exercise as close up to a real situation as possible.

They started to search where the persons were last seen. I had to keep constant radio contact with my teams and I had to discuss further actions with the police, ambulance and I had to analyze all info that came in from the public, rescue central and make a decision about the next moves.

At the same time I had to log all the conversations, places on the maps and much more. This role were new to me and I had never done it before. I felt a huge responsability and it was way out of my comfortzone. My whole body was shaking, but no one could tell.

Teamwork

I had to make sure my teams were not demotivated . The terrain was hard. A lot of tight forest. I had to make sure they got drink breaks and eating breaks and able to have time to go to toilet. They were far out in the forest in a place I had never been before.. I was responsible for their safety.

When the first team found the first person the action started. Everything happened at once.
Did we need a helicopter or could we manage without?

The pressure was rising from all sides. So many decisions , messages, discussions and info. I felt I totally lost the overview.

On top of it all one of my team members had fell and got hurt We had another patient suddenly.

I got stressed up about all of it,and at one point I totally blocked out when I was asked any questions. They drove me really hard, but it was necessary. If this had been a real life rescue mission it would probably be worse.

My mentor dragged me aside and asked: What happens to you now? I said I do not know - I just feel totally blank, pressured, responsibility, tired and uncertain about my decisions. I said I feel I can not do this. I suck at this.

He said - You can and I will help you. Thanks to my mentor and good teamwork my team passed the test.

When I read the news article afterwards of how well I had lead my team I felt it was not true. In my own eyes I had failed massively according to my own expectations of how I wanted to do the task. I wanted to feel I had done a good job.

But I was happy for my team and the local community because I know how much it meant to them. I had reached my goal. To build up an operative rescue team.

What I learned from this challenge

I learned that doing what you do not think you can do will give you new insights into yourself and what is stopping you from going forward.

I learned that I became insecure because I did not feel prepared enough, experienced enough or ready enough for this task. I did not believe I could do it.

But afterwards I felt stronger - I found out what is stopping me. That realization was awesome.

It is important to believe in your own abilities. But it is also important to listen to your team, mentor and others. To communicate clearly. I did many mistakes during the test,but I have learned so much.

Going out of the comfortzone - Why is that so important?

Believe me - you will learn so much from going out of your comfortzone. You will be glad you did it. You will realize what you were good at and what you need to work with. You will grow as a person. By daring to be wounerable you find your strength.

My Januar Challenges

This month I am doing something I did not do last year. Last year I was building a foundation and I was not focusing on any other marketing activities than Social media posting.

I have challenged myself to do something I did not do before:

First of all I made some challenging goals.

1. I have made my first challenge on my website.

2. I have joined a few challenges.

3. I have made my first email campaign.

4. I have created personal video messages and uploaded to my FB sites.
5. I have also decided I am going to go more Live throughout the year.

What are you going to do to challenge yourself this month?