Embrace the Challenge: Why Growth Never Takes a Day Off!

Life is a funny thing. You are born into this world as a natural fighter. The moment you open your eyes as a baby, you are looking for ways to survive and learn how to progress forward. Every moment, from that point on, is spent learning how to walk, run, read, write, feel… it is never-ending and often filled with cries of frustration and smiles of victory!

In essence, it is only natural to be placed in consistently challenging environments where we are encouraged to grow and feel accomplished.

So how foolish some of us are to then think we have surpassed the time in our life of challenges and growth. The truth is, the need for growth never stops. Whether you're just starting your career, or you're a seasoned professional, there's always something new to learn, a skill to hone, or a challenge to overcome.

"You’re never ready for what you have to do. You just do it. That's what makes you ready."

I wish I had seen this quote 11 years ago, but again, life is funny, and sometimes things are revealed at exactly the right moment. Eleven years ago, my husband and I bought our first house. Our daughter was about 7 months old when we decided to pull out all of out funds from our 401Ks and savings to enter a highly competitive housing market and place an offer on a house that needed a lot of work. But the house was a good size and in a nice neighborhood, and it served a purpose—a home to call our own.

We had no idea what we were doing. We put our trust in the agent and a mortgage broker who we thought highly of and signed the dotted line! However, the joy of owning a home was short-lived, as my husband was laid off on the very day we closed escrow. We were dirt poor, with a baby, and absolutely way over our heads in what to do next.

So after a few days of feeling sorry for ourselves, we got to work. We became the construction crew and ripped out orange shaggy carpet, removed floral wallpaper from the ’70s, pulled out wooden panels that surrounded the walls, killed weeds and ivy—we did everything we could to get the house in a decent spot.

Outside of the weekend, I started pounding the phones extra hard and hit downtown looking for sales to help broaden my commission. I volunteered for projects and did everything i could to get noticed at work so I could move up the ladder. And I enjoyed it. Some days I would be beside myself, overwhelmed and tired, but there was a desire to just keep pushing. It didn't matter if I wasn't equipped for the task because I knew I could learn.

Meanhwile, my husband started picking up work where he could, saying yes to every opportunity and working ungodly hours. His persistence pulled through and soon he had another full time job, bringing in more money and most important, more time for the family. We had decided to fight, to keep moving forward, so we could keep the place we had already worked so hard for.

All this to say, we made it through, and were better for it.

Each victory we celebrate is because we decided to put ourselves out there and make the attempt. Each time we have stumbled, we have picked ourselves up, looking for more. Wanting more.

Adopting a growth mindset means embracing these challenges, understanding that failure is part of the process, and recognizing that every setback is an opportunity to learn and improve. It’s about shifting your perspective from "I can’t" to "I can, and I will."

Here are a few tips for cultivating a growth mindset:

1. Embrace Challenges: View challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles. Each challenge is a chance to learn something new and expand your capabilities.

2. Learn from Criticism: Constructive criticism is invaluable. It provides insights into areas where you can improve. Embrace feedback and use it to fuel your growth.

3. Celebrate Effort, Not Just Success: Recognize and celebrate the effort you put into your endeavors, regardless of the outcome. Effort leads to improvement, and improvement leads to success.

4. Stay Curious: This one is my favorite! Never stop asking questions and seeking knowledge. Curiosity keeps your mind active and engaged, driving continuous learning.

5. Persist Despite Setbacks: Understand that failure is not a dead-end but a detour. Use setbacks as a learning tool and keep pushing forward.

Life is a continuous journey of learning and growth. The moment we stop challenging ourselves, we stop growing. So, the next time you face a daunting task, jump in! Get dirty… and say challenge accepted!

I had to insert some pics of the house...how it started and where we are today.