Seek a New Challenge

We can all probably agree 2020 was nothing short of a challenge. COVID-19, unrest and violence in cities across our country, political campaigns, and the election and its aftermath all merged to create what meteorologists call “the perfect storm.”

No doubt, you’re hoping for a calm and well-behaved 2021. Instead, I’m going to invite you to not only invite challenges into your life this year but to embrace them.

Challenges keep us on our toes; they require us to be mentally, physically and emotionally alert and involved. And being engaged and active is, according to scientists and doctors, crucial to a long, healthy life.

The problem with the challenges of 2020 was that they were beyond our control; they left us feeling powerless and even hopeless. Instead, we need challenges that stretch and energize us on our own terms, in a way we can enjoy.

You could create your own personal challenge, of course. You might challenge yourself to travel to all 50 states, to make all of your 2021 Christmas gifts or to learn to speak Italian, for example. But after a year of self-isolating to varying degrees, you may prefer something involving interaction with people from your community, your state or even beyond.

A physical challenge may be just the thing for you. Check out the National Senior Games (aka the Senior Olympics). Choose a sport and start training to compete at the state level with an eye on the national games in November in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

A quick internet search leads to a wide variety of hiking challenges. For the ladies, hikerbabesorganization.com offers an at-your-own-pace 100 Hikes (of any length) challenge, monthly hiking challenges and the 2021 Adventure Hike Series.

You could also sign up for a bike-through-California’s-wine-country type of trip. Or you could emulate my British friend Jayne Anne, who challenged herself to run 12 marathons in 2020 (and she made it, despite an injury and COVID-19 restrictions).

Choose something from the wide array available to you, encourage your significant other or friends to join you, and start training!

Perhaps you’re looking for something a little less physically demanding. A reading challenge might be just the thing. For example, I moderate the Prime Time Reading Challenge 2021 on Facebook. Participants choose books to read with the goal of reading 42 books, each one satisfying one of the 50 categories provided. For example, you might read “Congo” by Michael Crichton to satisfy the category of “book about an adventure.” Group members discuss what they’re reading and offer (or ask for) book recommendations.

If you enjoy watching police procedural or mystery television shows and movies, consider joining one of the many online or Facebook groups that focus on solving fictional or even true crimes or mysteries. One Facebook group, for example, is devoted to solving the mystery of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Another online group focuses on solving open U.S. murder cases.

Whatever your interests, a search on the internet will no doubt lead you to some type of individual or group challenge.

Forget coasting through the next 340+ days.

Seek out and embrace challenges that will exhilarate you and make 2021 a year to remember!