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Cat Mulvihill

Which of these 3 types are you?

Published about 1 month ago • 1 min read

Are you someone who gravitates towards a challenge?

Specifically, a time-bound, action-based challenge, like:

  • 30 days of X
  • 8 weeks of Y

I’ve noticed people tend to fall into one of three types.

Are you the type of person who...

A - gravitates towards challenges, sometimes repeating them over and over

B - appreciates a challenge occasionally, especially when starting a new skill or habit

C - doesn’t see the appeal because they can just take action on their own

For most of my life, I've loved a challenge.

As someone who often struggled to get into action on my own, a challenge provided the structure and guidance I was seeking. Depending on the challenge, it could also provide community and connection.

But over time, I started to question myself.

  • Why do I seem to need a challenge?
  • Why can’t I be more like the people who just ‘do the thing’?
  • Do challenges even ‘work’ if I keep coming back to them?

With doubt cast on the concept (and myself), I started to resist challenges, starting to see them as false hope and a trap. For myself and others around me, it seemed like challenges were stripping away our inner guidance. The challenge would end and the momentum would stall.

I was becoming concerned about whether I had become dependent on them. So I began labelling challenges as unhealthy, as something to avoid.

Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I can see my error. I had decided the challenges themselves were problematic instead of user error. It took a couple of realizations to guide me, but I now have a new perspective on challenges and my relationship to them.

If you are someone who repeatedly gravitates towards challenges, or you know someone else who does, perhaps my story will offer some insight into why this happens and important lessons you can learn from them.

Cheers,

Cat

In case you missed the update, I shared a recent decision to change my business focus. You can learn why in this post.

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Cat Mulvihill

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