So You Want to Be a Badass? Here’s The No-Excuses Growth Challenge That Will Change Your Life

Our Brains On Risks And Rewards

OK, so you want to be a badass… but you don’t quite know where to start. Don’t worry. I’ll help as much as I can, even though I’m not a “certified” badass. Not that I know there are badges being given away for that sort of thing.

What I do know is how to stay on my own agenda despite what others think of my goals. And no, that doesn’t mean bulldozing over other people’s wishes to get where I want to go. There’s a difference between being a badass and being a jerk, and we’re not aiming for the second one.

Well, to begin with it helps to understand that our brains have two very opinionated roommates when it comes to trying new things. One is the activation system and the other is the inhibition system.

The activation system encourages us to do things based on potential rewards, for example like putting up our profile on a dating site in the hopes of meeting our future soul mate. The inhibition system on the other hand uses our basic survival instincts of stress and anxiety to stop us from doing thing that might be uncomfortable or just plain risky.

1. Get Out

All of us thrive on routines, that’s why we are called creatures of habit. When things are predictable, there’s a sense of safety. When we stick to something we are good at, there’s a sense of mastery. And when we feel safe and confident, we feel a sense of daily wellbeing.

But, here in lies the danger. Seldom does the predictable nature of anything bring out a surprise element of growth to it. Because, where there’s no change, there’s no growth. Of course, sometimes the change is not what we want, that’s why we resist getting out of our comfort zones in the first place.

2. Try Something New

What we’re afraid of while trying new things is our fear of failure. Start by rewriting what success means to you when you’re about to start working on a project. Here’s my definition: “Success” is about working hard consistently, making difficult choices and outlasting my competition.

If we didn’t have a fighting spirit, we wouldn’t have survived the Covid virus and the apocalypse it posed for us. Similarly, if you have a disdain for smart phones and their addictive nature, you won’t be able to keep up with the digital revolution. So you will have to create boundaries for using your devices. Keep these things in mind and set yourself up for something you would normally not do.

If you want to incorporate exercise in your daily life, join a hiking group so that way you can also use group momentum to move you forward. If you want to switch your career, start by understanding what you want to do next. Meet people who are already doing what you would like to do.

3. Build Resilience

When it gets uncomfortable, lean into it a little more. I was so stressed out about vlogging because I was not sure if I wanted to be in front of the camera. But, my friends encouraged me and told me what I do well, so that gave me the confidence to do what I do now. If you see my earlier videos, they are cringy, but it has been an exciting learning curve. And during this process, I realized one serious point. Nobody is thinking about you as much as they’re thinking about themselves LOL 

Finally, there’s one thing in the world that in equal parts can excite us and also scare the living day lights out of us! Can you guess what it is? If you guessed an ambitious goal, you’re right.

When you’re in a dilemma, look for your values. Follow your dharma, it will always point you in the right direction. When things don’t go according the plan, don’t analyze the results. If you’re truly following your Dharma, all you need to do is to reconcile with your actions and move forward.

Good luck, and remember, life’s too short to play small!!

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