Inc Description Challenge

By default, humans aren’t up for a challenge. A challenge means change and a risk of failure, and that double whammy is enough to keep most of us in our comfort zone.

We hate change because of energy. The brain is about 2% of your body mass but uses around 20% of your energy, so it’s evolved to save as much as it can. Do something often enough and it becomes a habit that runs on autopilot. That’s why you leave the house and can’t remember locking the door. Your first bike ride is exhausting; the hundredth is effortless. When change comes along, your brain expects that drain and tells you not to bother.

We fear failure because fear kept us alive. A rustle in the bushes might have been a predator looking for dessert, and the fight-or-flight response got us out of there. That wiring is still running, and it fires every time failure is a possible outcome. Don’t wait to see what’s in the bushes. Just run.

Every time we avoid change or step away from a challenge, those default pathways get stronger. That’s how people end up stubborn and stuck in a rut.

Challenge knows why we’re wired this way, and she knows we can rewire ourselves to take risks, embrace change and stop fearing failure. Failure is just a step on the way to success. Without it, there is no success.