There’s this famous quote that can spark an interest to challenge yourself within you:
下面這句名言或許能激發你挑戰自我的興趣：
“If something that you’re doing doesn’t challenge you, then it doesn’t change you.” Unknown
“如果你做的事情毫無挑戰，那么你也將毫無改變。”——無名氏
Of course, since every one of us has room for improvement, this can also mean if you don’t change yourself, then you can’t be responsible for changing your situation in life. You can never see any improvement in your life if you stick to your comfort zone. We all need a healthy dose of normal stress in our lives, after all. We can only see what we’re really capable of if we make the effort to go over our pre-conceived limits. Don’t limit the challenges you encounter in life - challenge the limits that your “lizard brain” crafted instead:
當然，每個人都有提高的空間。這也表示，如果不改變自己，你也就無法改變你的生活境況。如果沉溺在舒適區，你永遠也不會看到生活有所改觀。要知道，生活中我們都需要適量的正常壓力。只有努力戰勝預想的極限，我們才能發現自己真正擅長什么。不要限制生活中遇到的挑戰——而應挑戰大腦設定的各種極限。
1. Learn a new language.
學一門新語言。
Hangul, Nihonggo, French, Filipino, Mandarin, Spanish: these are just some of the languages you can discover as you strive to challenge yourself. Learning a new language isn’t just another way to pad your resume; if you really get into it, you can even use this skill to tutor on the side and earn extra cash.
韓語、日語、法語、菲律賓語、漢語、西班牙語：當你準備挑戰自己時，可以嘗試學習這些語言。學一門新語言并不只是為了豐富簡歷;如果你全心投入，或許還能靠這個技能做家教掙點小錢。
2. Figure out what you’re scared of – and do it for one week consistently.
弄清自己害怕什么，然后堅持嘗試一周。
If you’re in sales, and you’re scared of talking to people personally or over the phone, then you have a problem. You can’t just relate with your clients online, can you? Now, instead of crippling in fear and automatically thinking you’ll fail, spend at least five minutes a day to pick up the phone and make a call to a prospect. Yes, it’s scary. Yes, you may embarrass yourself. And yes, someone may hang up on you. But don’t stop on the first try just yet! You’ll get the hang of it eventually. After a while, you can look at fear in the eyes and say, “Go on, I’m not scared!”
如果你從事銷售工作，卻很害怕跟人當面或電話交談，那可就有問題了。你不能只通過網絡聯系客戶，對吧?現在，不要再畏縮害怕，不要再不自覺地認為會做不好，每天至少花5分鐘拿起電話聯系某個潛在客戶吧。沒錯，這讓你感到害怕。沒錯，你可能會出糗。而且，也會有人掛斷你的電話。但是，千萬不要剛嘗試就放棄!因為最后你肯定能做到的。不久，你就能直面恐懼并告訴自己：“來吧，我不怕!”
3. Take a class for a hobby you’ve been wanting to pursue.
報培訓班學習一直想發展的愛好。
Make sure this hobby is not linked to your career; you have to relax and de-stress while performing this. Some examples might be cooking, sewing, painting and graphic designing online.
確定這個愛好跟工作無關;在從事這項愛好時，你必須能夠解壓放松。類似愛好可以是烹飪、縫紉、繪畫或網絡平面設計。
Aside from helping you challenge yourself now, taking a class for your hobby can also give you extra income if you learn how to monetize it. (You get plus points if you take the class with a loved one. This way, you combine bonding, boosting your income and challenging yourself.)
如果你懂一點生財之道的話，參加愛好培訓班除了能幫你挑戰自我，還可以為你帶來額外收入。(如果你是和心愛的人一起參加，你不僅能挑戰自我、賺外快，還可以增進彼此感情。)
4. Attend one career-related seminar a month.
每月參加一場職場類研討會。
Don’t settle for your current job position. Aim high in your career. Of course, with that aim, include in your action, too. Book conferences that are relevant to the industry of your profession. There, absorb the lesson. Ask sensible questions. And don’t forget to connect with the attendees and the keynote speakers. Sometimes, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” may be a reality.
不要滿足于當下的職位。將職業目標定高一些。當然，除了目標，還要拿出行動來。預定和自己職業行業有關的會議，然后在會上多加學習，多提合理問題，并且，別忘了和其他與會者以及重要發言人保持聯系。有時候，現實就是“重點不在于你知道什么知識，而在于你認識什么人”。
5. Make a realistic budget and find out how you can cut back on something so you can invest more.
制定合理預算，想辦法削減某些部分，以便加大對其他方面的投資。
Challenge yourself to step out of your current budget and develop a better budget for yourself. Money management is not about what you make – it’s what you do with what you make.
挑戰自己拋開現在的預算，然后制定一個更好的。財務管理不在于你能掙多少錢，而在于你能用掙到的錢干什么。
- So, produce a budget on paper, or in an Microsoft Excel file.
所以，在紙上制定一個預算吧，用Excel也可以。
- Identify the item you’ve been spending so much money on.
找出自己開銷比較大的方面。
- Cut back on that item so you have more money to put in your emergency fund or in your investment fund.
然后削減在那方面的開銷，這樣你就有更多錢用來投資到應急基金或投資基金里了。
6. Dedicate at least nine minutes a day for physical exercise.
每天至少花9分鐘鍛煉身體。
You don’t need to go to the gym, you know. A simple 9-minute run around your neighborhood or an intense dance routine done in your living-room can do wonders for yourself. Aside from the obvious reason that exercise can help you maintain your regular weight or shed those unnecessary pounds, it can also aid in making you feel better about yourself by releasing endorphins.
要知道，你不一定非去健身館不可。繞著小區跑步9分鐘或者在臥室集中跳一段熱舞，其實也能幫你維持正常體重或甩掉贅肉，而且還可以通過釋放內啡肽讓你感覺良好。
7. Travel and allow yourself to be interested in new people.
旅行——敞開心胸認識新朋友。
We’re not talking about the expensive kind of travelling here. Something cost-effective like going to your local museum or visiting the resort in the next city can all count as travelling! Here, don’t just limit yourself to your fellow travelers – try to connect with the service staff, like the lifeguard, or the receptionist, or the tour guide. You never know what kind of people they’re going to be. Get out of your house or go online right now to book your class. Start now and learn to challenge yourself from time to time. We all need a little push once in a while.
這里說的不是那種要花大把銀子的旅行。像參觀本地博物館或鄰市旅游景點這種花錢少的方式，也可以稱為旅行!請不要只去認識同行的人——試試搭訕一下救生員、接待員或導游等服務人員吧。你永遠不知道自己將會認識什么樣的人呢。到外面或在網上報班學習吧。現在就開始學習時不時地挑戰自己。我們都需要時不時地推一把。