What New Challenge are You Going to Take This Year?

What New Challenge are You Going to Take This Year?

 If you want to grow, you need to expand your personal capacity. I already wrote about it before, but I think it’s necessary to touch on this topic again. It’s an important topic that deserves constant reminder¹.

Expanding your personal capacity is essential for your personal growth. It will take you the next level in life. It will make you a better person. For that, what you need to do is taking a new challenge. You should move out of your comfort zone and do something that stretches your skills and abilities. It’s inconvenient², but that’s the way to grow.

So here is my question to you:

What new challenge are you going to take this year?

We still have eleven months in 2012 which is enough to work on a new challenge. Don’t waste them by just doing what you always do. Do something that will take you to the next level in life.

To help you choose a new challenge to take, here are a few ideas:

Take an online course

Is there a subject you are fascinated about and want to study if you had time? Well, this year might be the time for you. There are a lot of courses available on iTunes U that you can choose from, not to mention other sources like YouTube. There is even a new breed of interactive³ courses that will give you assignments and give you feedback (here are some examples). With so many options available, I’m sure you can find something on the subject you are interested in.

Start a side business

Perhaps you already have an idea for a side business. It could come from your hobby or from a specific need that you come across. Why don’t you make it a reality this year? Having a side business is a good way to expand your capacity because it will teach you a lot in the process. Plus, it could give you an extra cushion in this uncertain economic times.

Start a blog

Today everyone can express his or her thoughts through a blog. You are no longer limited to just being a consumer of information. If you have a subject you are passionate⁴ about, it’s a good idea to start a blog on it. You will learn a lot more by writing about it, plus you will meet interesting people along the way.

One word of caution: don’t expect instant success if you decided⁵ to build something. It takes time to build something, so don’t get discouraged if your blog didn’t attract many readers or your business didn’t give you enough revenue in the beginning. Remember, your goal here is to expand your personal capacity.

Those are just a few ideas from me. I’m sure you have a lot more ideas on how to expand one’s capacity. I’d like to hear from you, so feel free to share them in the comments.

1 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

2 inconvenient   

adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的

参考例句：

• You have come at a very inconvenient time.你来得最不适时。
• Will it be inconvenient for him to attend that meeting?他参加那次会议会不方便吗？

3 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

4 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。