The internet moves quickly, which means trends and challenges become popular at a high rate. Unlike the “Tide Pod Challenge” the “Paper Challenge” is much more fun and a lot safer. Many fitness gurus and procrastinating college students are partaking in this challenge. If you haven’t heard of it the Paper Challenge it requires you to fold a piece of paper like a tent and place it on the floor while only having one foot planted on the ground, pick it up with their mouth and come back up without having your other leg or arms touch the ground. Sounds easy enough right? The great thing about internet challenges is that well, they challenge you. They make you break out of your comfort zone, to do something you never thought you would try in the first place. At least try some of the challenges that won’t harm your body (i.e. tide pod challenge) please do not try that at home, or anywhere for that matter. The paper challenge, however, is harmless and if you fail the great thing is that it makes for a good laugh. Also, you can get back up and try again. Maybe, you’ve been going to the gym lately and have been working hard, but still can’t beat the challenge. Go back to the gym and continue training. Come back to the challenge in a day or even a week and see what you can achieve. If you work diligently, there is nothing you can’t achieve. If you fail at the challenge it’s okay to walk away from it for a while, but try to return to it. You never know how much progress you’ve made.
The paper challenge has been taking the internet by storm with many videos of people at home trying to achieve the goal. Let us know if you’ve tried it and if you haven’t, what’s holding you back?
Is it the fact that you’ve never done anything like this before? Who cares! Half the fun of participating in these internet fads is that you can laugh about it later. Record a video, share it with your friends and family. Then, challenge them to do it too! You don’t need to be an avid exercise enthusiast try something fun and new. If you recently started going to the gym, try it now and when you feel like you’ve gotten better then try again. No matter how many tries or however long it takes you to achieve it, it’s still an accomplishment you should celebrate. Just because you fail one time does not equate to you being a failure. For some people, it takes longer than others to achieve something, but it does not mean you shouldn’t try. “Try, try and try again.”
Nobody starts out as a winner, most successful athletes have failed at one point or another. It’s possible they weren’t even good at the sport they’re in now. The important lesson about failure is that you don’t give up. Giving up is worse than failing because you’re not even giving yourself a chance to get better. You can’t get better at something if you walk away from it. It’s better to say that you gave it your best instead of I never tried. The only person stopping you from being the best possible version of you is yourself. Try the challenge, you fall down 7 times, you get back up 8. The only way to be and to get better is by perseverance. Keep telling yourself that next time you will be standing up with that piece of paper in your mouth! I know you can do it, I believe in you, but do you believe in yourself?
Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone makes you better. It makes you more flexible and also helps you reach your full potential. When you are taking on new challenges head-on, it makes you improvise with the knowledge you do have and lets you learn something new about how to handle a situation or about yourself. While it may seem scary to throw yourself into the unknown, it can also be freeing. It boosts your self-confidence in your abilities, now that you’ve stepped out of your comfort zone you feel a little invincible. You tell yourself, “Hmm, maybe I can do this.” The answer is, yes, yes you can!
A lot of perks come with getting out of your comfort zone. A new memory you’ve made by doing this paper challenge, more confidence in yourself and your abilities, maybe even new friends. Maybe you saw someone at the gym doing the challenge and started to chat them up about your experience doing it as well. If you are comfortable and stagnant, then you are not progressing as a person. Create a challenge for yourself to ultimately reach your full potential. Once you’ve realized that you are more than you thought you can begin to chase your wildest dream. This can only happen if you believe in yourself and want to continue to grow as a person. Find an end goal that you want to achieve. Want to be able to do the paper challenge, then you’ll find yourself practicing a lot more and going to your workouts more regularly. Soon you’ll have the abilities to achieve something that was once foreign to you. There is always something new to learn.