9 Challenges are valuable opportunities
All challenges in life can be scary and difficult to deal with, but they can be wonderful opportunities to accomplish something valuable if we view them so. The key is to choose to view challenges as opportunities that are worth the time and effort to take on. The trick to that is to practice doing just that; starting with easy challenges and build up your confidence to then take on more difficult ones.
The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with but whether it is the same problem you had last year. — John Foster Dulles, Former US Secretary of State
People who do this successfully will embrace all challenges with enthusiasm towards the reward of capitalizing on an opportunity that they have not accomplished before. They will happily take on difficult tasks when others will be reluctant. They will set open-ended goals to avoid limiting their potential. They will manage their fears and take risks. Yes, there is some stress associated with failing to overcome a challenge, but they will manage that and not give up until they do succeed. I have talked to many business people who have become successful only after a few significant failures, which they turned into learning opportunities that helped them to ultimately succeed. With practice, you can become more adept at seeing past the scary bits of a challenge and see the opportunities to do some wonderful things.
By Robert Epstein, Steven M. Schmidt, and Regina Warfel. University of California, San Diego –
Robert Epstein also promotes this principle as one of the four core creativity competencies in his article Measuring and Training Creativity Competencies: Validation of a New Test. His premise is that taking on challenges is a required competency to develop our creative abilities. Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
Watch the following videos and consider what opportunities to create value exists in the challenges described.
A Vision of Students Today https://youtu.be/dGCJ46vyR9o
Did You Know (Officially updated for 2023) https://youtu.be/u06BXgWbGvA
Did you know, in 2028… https://youtu.be/QpEFjWbXog0
I have found that I have become quite bold and courageous when it comes to taking on challenging and difficult tasks, projects or assignments. I find that they excite me as I look forward to the opportunity to do something I have never done before, and learn new things along the way. I believe what drives me is the opportunity to create something valuable as I do this, whether it be a monetary value or just the value of helping someone out with a problem.
Think of an experience you have had where you took on a challenge, that may have been scary at first, but you eventually did complete successfully. How did you feel about doing that?
Did you recognize the opportunity that was inherent in the challenge when you first considered taking it on? Did you find the challenge more appeals when you did?
Did you create something of value that surprised you?
Watch these two videos about how a young boy and a design company took on a challenge and made a valuable opportunity from it.
I challenge you to find something in your workplace that may be a bit scary to do and look at the opportunity that it really is, then take it on and create value from it. Share your experience with a friend and discuss it with them.
Not everyone in our workplaces shares this view or applies this principle. You may know people who seem to work on the principle of just getting through their day by doing the least possible. Or they choose to never volunteer to take on any tasks, challenging or not, unless they have to. And even if they agree to take on the task, some people do all they can to avoid completing it.
What assumptions, misconceptions or habits are preventing you from gaining the full benefit of taking on more challenges in your life?
Challenge:
Identify one or two challenges that you are facing in your life right now. Consider the opportunities that each of those challenges presents to you if you can overcome it and share this with a friend.
