Why You Should Always Challenge Yourself

It's easy to fall into doing the same things day in and day out, but here's why you should always challenge yourself.

This post is sponsored by Palmer's® Coconut Oil Formula on behalf of One2One Network.

A few weeks ago, I posted about what to do when you're in a funk. I've been trying to take my own advice as well as some of the advice you all gave me, and I have to say, it's been helping!

I tend to fall into funks when I'm doing the same thing day-in and day-out. I think both my mind and body get bored. That's why I've always been a fan of switching it up and trying new foods and workouts. It's important not only to avoid getting bored, but challenging yourself to try new things or set new goals also has amazing benefits.

THE BENEFITS OF CHALLENGING YOURSELF

You'll grow - I don't mean that you'll get all the gains (though you might depending on what you're doing), but challenging yourself is a great way to grow as a person. By trying new things, you'll learn what you really like to do (What forms of fitness are fun to you? What type of nutrition plan makes you feel strongest?), as well as what you need to work on (Wow, those pistol squats were tough. Let me try to master them!). You'll also learn what you really don't like and should maybe steer clear of to avoid workout boredom. You may be intimidated by a certain type of workout or goal (say running a half marathon), but if you challenge yourself to train for one, you may love it and start adding more races to your calendar.
Shock the system (in the best way) - When you challenge yourself to try something new, your body and mind are likely to react positively. They'll be intrigued by the new thing, and you'll start seeing results faster. This is particularly true if you've hit a plateau with your fitness goals. When you challenge your body to move in new ways and your mind to think in new ways, you'll be rejuvenated and maybe just maybe will start seeing and feeling some positive results.
Find focus - When you do the same thing day-in and day-out, you may not push yourself as hard as you know you could. You've done the routine so many times that you know what comes easy and may fall into that trap of only doing what's comfortable. Taking on a new challenge may help us find the focus that was missing - the focus that will motivate us to get out of the comfort zone and work toward something new and different.
Surprise yourself - The best thing to come out of taking on a new challenge is surprising yourself with what you're capable of. When you reach a new goal or stick to a workout plan for a whole month, holy cow, do you feel awesome! And you are awesome!

HOW TO FIND A GOOD CHALLENGE

Rally some friends - When you get together with friends, do you find yourselves talking about how you wish you could run a race or how you've been interested in Paleo? Well... stop talking and start doing! Get your friends together and start a challenge together. Sign up and train for a race together, got to a crossfit class, or start a Paleo dinner party. You can work to hold each other accountable and experience the fun of the challenge together.
Find a Facebook group - Facebook is filled with awesome challenge groups. Find one that aligns with your interests and join for support and tips. Some even provide challenge calendars and guides.
See what brands are doing - Health and fitness brands are always posting challenges to their fans and followers. Check out your favorite brands' websites and social accounts to see if they've posted any challenges you might be interested in participating in. For instance, I recently participated in a fun challenge with Palmer's® Coconut Oil Formula: The 7 Day Challenge to a More Luminous You.
They challenged me to take positive action for 7 days by doing something like meditating, exercising, drinking more water, powering down devices and going to bed early, etc, while also trying their skin care regimen.

This challenge was just what I needed to help get out of my funk. Since I've been struggling with my morning workout routine, I decided to make getting back to morning workouts my challenge. I was also happy to try their Coconut Oil Formula products. They're all free of parabens, sulfates, GMOs and harsh chemicals. They're also hypoallergenic and made with sustainable and fair-trade ingredients.
Knowing that I had a challenge to conquer really lit a fire under my butt! I got in morning workouts 3 out of 5 weekdays, and got in my other 2 workouts in the afternoon. Finally getting out of bed and working out first thing reminded me how good I feel when the first thing I do is sweat. I have so much more energy. I'm in a better mood. I definitely feel more luminous.
As for the skincare regimen, I liked all the products but definitely had a few favorites. The Facial Scrub exfoliates with raw coconut sugar and left my skin feeling super refreshed, and the Facial Moisturizer gave my skin a dewy, radiant complexion. This was also my first time trying a facial oil, and so far, I really like what it's doing to my skin. Overall, I've found my skin to be more hydrated and my skin tone to be more even. This challenge definitely left me feeling more luminous all around!
Ask your gym - Ask your front desk or a trainer at your gym if there are any challenges you can partake in. Maybe there's a step challenge, a start-weight-lifting challenge or a workout plan they're offering up for free. If not, ask them if they'd consider making one.
Check out Pinterest - Pinterest is FILLED with fitness and nutrition challenges. Do a quick search and you'll find calendars with plank challenges, run challenges, meal plan challenges and more! Find one that speaks to you. Pin it. Print it. Do it!