Becoming a Better Self: Experiencing a 31 Day Comfort Zone Challenge, Part 2

31 Day Comfort Zone Challenge is a weekly look at a project embarked upon by Shaanxi-born illustrator Jacqueline Liu as a way to try new things and to discover herself and her potential.

At the end of September, I set a challenge for myself to do one new thing each day and document the experience.

This small project was like a game: Each day, I’d do one new thing, from attempts to break out of my comfort zone to spiritual exploration, or even something I’d once considered completely meaningless. The underlying point, however, was “new,” and whatever new perspectives that might emerge from the experience.

Now that October has passed, every single experience – long or short, difficult or simple – is still vivid in my mind. I have made a list of the things I tried each day to share with you, dear reader, in the hope that you might want to try this exercise too.

Day 6: Taking a cold shower

Like most human beings I usually prefer to feel physically safe and comfortable, therefore cold showers are never an option, especially not on a chilly, rainy day. I decided to do it though, simply because my body was too exhausted and my mind too slow for any other challenge.

The psychological preparation took a while, and when I was finally under the showerhead, having started first with my legs, my initial reaction was “No, I’m not doing this!” followed by another voice that said, “Yes, you can, just breathe.” I chose to follow the second voice. I monitored my breathing throughout, and oh how magical the power of breathing can be. After two minutes the water started to feel almost warm, and after three minutes it nearly felt like a normal shower. At the end I was glad to have followed through with the experience. I felt quite energized, refreshed, and proud of myself.

Day 7: Black lips

A friend lent me her black lipstick. When I tried it on, I thought I looked like someone who had been poisoned or had just drank two liters of ink.

When I left the house, I ran into my neighbor who was kind enough to say “Wow, your color of lipstick looks very special.”

Emboldened, I went for a walk, and then dinner with friends – all of whom weren’t even slightly surprised. The only comment I got was that I laughed too much for a person wearing black lipstick.

Day 8: Playing a dancing game on Nintendo Switch

I’m not a big fan of video games (anymore), but I do enjoy any kind of physical or playful game. So, when I sought inspiration from a friend for “one new thing” to try and she invited me to play a dancing game on Nintendo Switch, I couldn’t refuse.

It was more difficult than I imagined, but fun as well. It’s a great way to exercise, as well as a great way to learn a few dance moves and laugh at our own awkwardness – which is a necessary thing in life.

Day 9: Eating durian pizza

When a foreign friend of mine thought he had ordered a normal pizza, he turned out to be sorely mistaken. We could even smell the durian before it had arrived to our table. So just like that, the time had come for me to experience the taste of durian on pizza.

I ended up eating two slices ‘cause I didn’t want to cheat – and all the while my two friends stared at me as if they were watching someone undergo a form of torture. I tried to just taste it without “judging.” It wasn’t as bad as I imagined and I even felt as though maybe, just maybe, I possessed a glimmer of potential to become a durian-loving Chosen One.

I'll try an uncooked durian next time before I decide to switch sides... Although as I write this, the memory of that taste still gives me an inexplicable headache.

Day 10: Getting my portrait drawn by a street artist

I went out to watch the sunset one day while looking for inspiration for my next "new thing" of the day. I passed by a guy making portraits for RMB 10 on a very crowded corner near the Drum Tower. He cordially asked, "Want a portrait? 10 kuai for a portrait?” to which I exclaimed “10 kuai!? Sure!" So I sat down. It took about 10 minutes. I asked him a few questions, but he didn't seem too interested in the conversation.

The portrait was nowhere near as realistic as the ones of movie stars strewn at his feet, so I was a little disappointed, but it only cost RMB 10 after all, and he kept saying how I looked just like the Chinese movie star Yang Mi, to which I replied “Oh come on, stop exaggerating!” Yet I still felt secretly happy – obviously even a total lie without any disguise can creep into the longing-heart of my ego.

Jacqueline Liu is a freelance illustrator living in Beijing. To find out more about the artist and her work, follow her on WeChat @匆匆过河 (Congcong Guohe) and Instagram @Tatiejackie

Stay tuned for the rest of Jacqueline's 31 day challenge recap in the coming weeks. Would you give something like this a try? Have you tried a challenge like this in the past? Let us know in the comments!

READ: Becoming a Better Self: Experiencing the 31 Day Comfort Zone Challenge

Images: Jacqueline Liu