It’s a rainy Saturday and there’s plenty of time for writing and pondering, so let’s talk about a summer of challenges. Before continuing to the actual things I’d like to try this wonderful summer of 2016, let’s focus a while or two on the definition and nature of a good challenge.
One of the definitions (and the one I’d like to use here) for the word challenge is as follows: ” to arouse or stimulate especially by presenting with difficulties”. In other words, it’s something positive. In my opinion, a challenge should be something that comes with a reward, the outcome should be desirable. Getting there should be difficult, but not impossible. And – as this is a voluntary thing – the journey should be (rather) pleasing. However, most of us lead busy lives and there’s rarely time for doing things just because. Ask yourself what it is you want to accomplish, how will your life be improved if you finish your goal. Is participating in a challenge really worth the effort? Are you motivated enough to go through with it?
A Summer of Challenges #1: Blogging For 30 Days
In the beginning of the existence of this blog there was a wonderful blog challenge created by Sarah Arrow. A simple challenge it was. At least 300 written words in 30 consecutive days. Not difficult, but it did require quite a bit of time and effort. I believe it was a useful experience and I want to do it again. Here are the main reasons for doing just that:
- No excuses! Writing is a lot of fun but in a life full of responsibilities it’s sometimes difficult to find the time. With some external pressure, it’s easier to find the motivation to stick on track.
- More traffic, more readers. There are a lot of blogs out there; this is a small one, written as a hobby. Nonetheless, it’s always fun to see the traffic going up.
- All the lessons that come with it. This particular blog challenge includes a lot of (free) tips and recommendations, which are really valuable for any blogger.
By (re-)completing this challenge, I wish to accomplish a daily and efficient routine of writing and sharing texts that are useful to someone, somewhere.
A Summer of Challenges #2 : Working Out 4-5 Times Per Week
I think we all know why we should work out. So, sometimes the question is when or how to do it. The when is 4-5 per week, in the gym, in the yoga studio or outside in the fresh air. And why? Well, I think that when it comes to working out or getting fit, one must have some measurable goals. Of course it really makes you (and me) feel better afterwards. However, it is difficult to measure the levels of well-being, so numbers and charts might give some additional motivation.
- We are planning to go on a trip in autumn. I am hoping for a beach. I want to look good on that beach. It really is as simple as that.
- There are some races coming up this summer and I want to run as fast as I can, I want to beat my (poor) records.
A Summer of Challenges #3 : Trying 1 New Thing Each Week
And it’s not just any one thing, but a thing that is related to either travelling or foreign cultures. Or food. Things I could write about on this blog. There are plenty of reasons why one should explore more, travel more, do more. And so on, and so on. What I want to do is to create more content for this blog. This is a travel blog after all.
I have written about a summer of challenges, challenges that come in threes. Do you have any goals or challenges that will keep you busy this summer? Tell us in the comments!
