Bhaiyya, I’m getting bored at home during the lockdown,’ said Rahul over a Zoom call. ‘Yes, bhaiyya,’ said Rinku. ‘Could we find a way to add excitement and also grow while at home?’ ‘That’d be interesting,’ said Rakesh. ‘What exactly do you mean by excitement and growth?’ ‘Excitement is something that gives me a rush,’ said Rahul. ‘Makes me feel happy afterwards.’ ‘And growth is learning something new,’ said Rinku. ‘Something that makes me better.’ ‘I have the perfect recipe for this,’ said Rakesh. ‘The 21-day challenge that our professor taught us in a workshop. Apparently, if we do something for 21 days it becomes a habit.’
‘Sounds interesting. What do we do, bhaiyya?’ asked Rahul. ‘It’s simple,’ said Rakesh. ‘Our professor told us to do one thing that’s out of our comfort zone for 21 days. It can be small or big, but it should make you feel uncomfortable. And after you’ve done it, you should feel happy. Like you’ve broken a barrier.’ ‘Interesting,’ said Rinku. ‘What’s the growth angle in this?’ ‘Well, Rinku,’ said Rakesh. ‘Most of us stay inside our comfort zones, which limits our growth. To grow, we need to be adaptable, vulnerable, be okay with trying, failing and being rejected.
By pushing ourselves to do small out-of-comfort-zone acts, we’ll accelerate our growth in 21 days. And the vulnerability, anticipation and pushing of emotional boundaries make it exciting.’ ‘What out-of-comfort-zone tasks can I do at home?’ asked Rahul. ‘Do things out of your character,’ smiled Rakesh. ‘Things you don’t like, fear or you’ve been avoiding. You tell me.’ ‘Hmm, clean my room,’ said Rahul. ‘Have a real conversation with family, interview parents, grandparents and find their stories, tell mom I love her, reconnect with lost friends...’
‘Put myself out on social media and be seen,’ said Rinku. ‘Make chai for our guards, volunteer to distribute food, be off the mobile and other screens for 24 hours...’ ‘Good,’ said Rakesh. ‘In 21 days, you should be comfortable being out-of-your-comfort zone. That’s serious growth.’ ‘This is so cool,’ said Rahul. ‘I’m announcing the challenge on social media right now. Let’s compare notes every day.’ ‘It’s brilliant at growing us and our confidence,’ said Rinku. ‘And fun. Chef Rinku is baking a cake today. First time ever.’
