Dare 1 - January 2025
Welcome to 2025, the year of the dare.
Do you remember being a kid and a friend dared you to do something just a bit outside your comfort zone? Most kids readily take on a dare, it can be hard to say no. Lesson learned: an umbrella is a poor parachute.
But as adults, we are often more cautious, as there’s more at risk. I once dared to ask a question at a large meeting (why are we doing this exercise?). I was terrified to ask the question but was utterly confused as to how to engage with the exercise. So I asked and quickly discovered that many attendees had the same question. The meeting leader did not have an answer which led to a discussion of ‘what problem are we trying to solve?’ and shifted the project focus toward a more effective direction. Several colleagues messaged me afterward to thank me for asking that question. While I was pleased that the question helped the project, it didn’t ease my anxiety when I asked it.
Just because something is simple doesn’t make it easy.
Daring to climb up the 350 steps to the top of Mont Saint Michel
Collins Dictionary offers the following definition of dare:
A challenge that one person gives to another to do something dangerous or frightening.
The dares I'm about to propose should NOT be illegal or dangerous. Please don't quit your job and start a bakery on an island without thinking things through carefully. This is about taking a small step just outside your comfort zone rather than a giant leap. The dare should stretch you slightly so that you're somewhat uncomfortable, but not to the point where you run screaming to the nearest bar! I will do the same for each dare and share my experiences with you.
Daring to swim in an outdoor pool at 7 am in Borganes, Iceland (ambient temperature: 35F and raining)
For January, I dare you to do something you've been avoiding because you worry you might fail.
It could be as simple as saying hello to the person at the grocery check-out (if you're an introvert, this is huge), calling someone you’ve been avoiding, or inviting a new friend to lunch. Maybe it’s writing two pages of a novel you’ve been thinking about. You choose what you’ve been avoiding and where you'd like to grow.
One important point about your dares: the dare is about the experience of doing what makes you nervous. It's not a pass/fail activity; it's about trying something new and being curious about what happens next. What do you notice about yourself as you try new things? When you dare, you cannot fail. The whole point is to discover a new experience.
Daring to learn to play the cello
Thought Questions/ Prompts
You might want to keep a small notebook or central place to track your dares and experiences during the year.
As you prepare your January dare:
What would you like to dare this month?
What about it makes this activity uncomfortable? What are you risking?
What thought patterns are keeping you stuck?
On a scale of 1-10, how scary was this dare for you?
After your dare
What happened? What was in your control? What was not in your control?
What worked well? What didn't work so well?
What did you learn about yourself?
This January, I've dared myself to launch the One Must Dare campaign. This makes me uncomfortable as I’m a huge introvert and sharing this program with others puts me on center stage. I’ve spent the last four weeks overthinking, criticizing, and catastrophizing to delay this launch. But we’re on, and it’s time. Here we go:
There are two ways to participate.
(Free via this newsletter/posting) Choose a dare for January. Take a few minutes to explore the above prompts in this message and see what happens. Optionally, you can send me an email sharing your experience with me.
If you're not on the mailing list for this newsletter, you can sign up here.
(Paid) Take part in my private Dare Campaign launching on February 1. It’s a 90-day program with extra support as you experiment with your dares. When you sign up, you'll receive the following:
Access to a private Slack community for connection and support. The first cohort is small (8) to provide maximum attention to members.
Weekly accountability check-ins
Group discussions of progress and coaching for challenges
Monthly PDF document with more detailed dare instructions and thought questions
Anyone who signs up for this first cohort receives a free one-hour coaching session with me on any topic.
I look forward to hearing what happened with your first dare!