Greg Tung wanted to make this past year the most interesting year of his life.
Inspired by a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt (“Do one thing every day that scares you”), Greg decided that he was going to do just that for 365 days (plus one, to cover for leap year).
Now, everybody’s definition of what makes things “scary” is different. Greg summed “scary” up as things that he would normally go out of his way to avoid doing if he had the choice to do so.
So Greg went ahead to chronicle this personal adventure on his website, SCARE YOURSELF EVERY DAY, which Web Watch will predict will get turned into another one of those great blog-to-book projects we’ve talked about previously (Cake Wrecks, we’re looking at you!). It’s more likely to happen, since as part of the Scare Yourself project, Greg quit his job to focus on his dream of becoming a writer.
Yeah, quitting your job to follow a dream is definitely on everyone’s list of things that can scare the crap out of you.
Here’s a look at some of the things that Greg’s done:
After seeing that video, you’re probably thinking that those items don’t look particularly scary.
To you, they may not be. Web Watch has no problem speaking in front of larget crowds of people, but Greg had that as #3 on his list of scary activities. Everybody has different fears – it’s how you face those fears that will define who you are.
One reason that people decide not to face a particular fear is not a concern of physical harm, but rather a gamut of emotions – from embarassment to failure to being concerned about what others will think of you. While Greg used his project as a way to conquer specific fears, it also gave him an outlet to write something – anything – daily… which fueled his desire to become a writer.
If one looks at most of the successful businesses out there today, not one was founded by someone who was afraid to try something that they weren’t comfortable with. They just did it, regardless of the outcome… and they turned out okay.
Greg’s SCARE YOURSELF EVERY DAY (SYED) project should be an inspiration to everyone. You don’t have to try something new every day — but try something at least once.
Who knows? You may like it.
Here’s a quick list of some of the 365 items that Greg did over the past year. You can read his full list here:
- Go to a party by oneself
- Revealing one’s crush on somebody
- Throw a dart at a map and just go there!
- Telling a co-worker to be quieter
- Amateur male strip club night
- Telling Mom that they were caught shoplifting
- Eat live octopus
- Speed dating
- Eat durian
- Serenade a girl in a bar
- Play MAGIC: THE GATHERING on a Saturday night
- Register to play in the World Series of Poker
- Get a mani-pedi
- Take a nude figure drawing class
- Donate at a sperm bank
- The Cinnamon Challenge