Challenging yourself. With bit of awkwardness.

Today I won 3rd place on an Architectural Drafting competition. Our task was to draw a house plan, make some changes to it, and a lot of other Architectural mumbo jumbo. I got 3rd place, with a shitty drawing. 


The house I drew was missing windows, walls, stairs, appliances, fixtures, the fireplace, electrical and plumbing, and probably several other things. Yet, somehow, I managed to get to 3rd place. During the contest I felt stressed, and even somewhat depressed. I couldn't solve basic problems, and I was questioning all my knowledge. 


There were so many things required that I had no Idea how to do. This is even though I have been taking architecture for 4 years now. It was a challenge, and now I know what I have to learn and practice to improve my skills. 


As you Improve, you become great around your peers and in your situation. You get to a point where your environment doesn't challenge you as it used to and you reach a plateau. To continue on your journey, you must take new challenges, find new environments, and perhaps, new peers. I'm thinking about how this relates to Health or Dating, but I'll leave those dots for you to connect.



Sometimes we are challenged by the situations we get ourselves into. When you come to a fork in the road and there is no going back, we usually choose the easiest way. 

As I walked into the auditorium for the awards ceremony of the contest, All I could see was clusters of people sitting around in groups. These people were from other schools, other families. Except two old acquaintances who were playing a game of Connect 4. 

I found myself with 2 options. Either join them (Desired Action). Or find a seat away from everyone to sit alone (Default Action), Which is what I usually do in these situations since I find most social interactions to be really awkward. Pherhaps because I'm not used to them. 

So I go to my default choice, and I walk around the auditorium until I find a seat away from everyone else. I was sitting out in the open in the middle of this auditorium and I was feeling super awkward. Everyone was conversating with their own peers. I felt so awkward that I actually had to stand up and walk back to where the old acquaintacnes were and join them to a game of Connect 4.

Visually, this is what it looks like:

To achieve your desired action, make it the least awkward.

Get yourself into situations where your default actions and habits become so awkward that you would rather take a risk and try new things. You can start by entering into a room full of people you don't know. I have a habit of distancing myself from all social situations, and being alone. But that Isn't me, it isn't the new me. It doesn't feel right and I have to get rid of it. Get your average choices to seem awkward, get to that fork, and you'll be challenged.


I could've segregated this into several posts, but it is what I learned today as a whole. Therefore I will present it to you as a whole.