An S Curve worth pursuing will dovetail with who we aspire to be.Exploring areas of ourselves and possibilities that have no apparent connection to who we are right now is exciting. They may even be admirable, but they may also mean we get voted off our current island. People around us, including those we care about deeply, may be heavily invested in who we are now: our family.  If the new S Curve we’re exploring is too aligned with who we already are, the potential for growth may be too low. But if it’s too far out of alignment, then the price of reaching for a new identity may be too high.

Fitting in The Identity

Assessing if an opportunity is aligned with our values is usually easier said than done. We are complex creatures, and our hierarchy of values isn’t always straightforward.We have our stated, public-facing values. But we also have hidden or “shadow” values that don’t meet the public eye, and exploration involves excavating our shadow values.Know what your shadow values are. Understand what aspects of your personality feed them, or perhaps what may have happened early in your life that made these shadow values powerful to you. Then bring them out of the shadows.

Alignment To Our Values

Is there an easy way to test whether I want to be on a particular S Curve of Learning? If I decide to stay on this S Curve, will my initial pace be sustainable?So start small. Set your initial expectations and incremental increases so laughably small, that you deactivate your inner procrastinator.Each tiny benchmark is its own easy test. Is this S Curve feasible? Can I sustain this long term? Take baby, baby, baby steps.

Ease Of Testing

There is a nearly limitless range of things that are possible. They require only that we believe and act on our beliefs.To decide if a stretch of terrain warrants further exploration, here is a seven-point template you can consider.

How To Choose

Most of us do not suffer from a lack of possibilities, yet overabundant options can be paralyzing and undermine or discourage action. Our prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain that juggles all the options we’re considering — doesn’t have unlimited processing power to constantly consider how one of an infinite number of new things we could do fits with what we are already doing. We’re also paralyzed by fear. Exploring a new S Curve of Learning is filled with the threat of uncertainty.

Exploring Something New: The Problem

When contemplating a new opportunity for growth, consider what motivates you — the “why” behind what you are doing. If you don’t yet know your “why,” <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_to_discover_your_why_in_difficult_times">Simon Sinek</a> provides a brilliant yet simple exercise: Ask the people who know you well why they enjoy being around you and what their relationship with you does for them. If you can get candid, straightforward answers from them, they will reveal to you your “why.”

Ask Yourself Your Why

There is a general human tendency to want some new knowledge to build on the firm foundation of what we already know.Familiarity helps you relax and feel safer; too much familiarity may mean stasis. The unfamiliar in small doses surprises and delights and can lead us in new directions. In large doses, novelty and uncertainty create anxiety and fear.

Familiarity In Novelty

<ul><li>Perhaps you’re considering a job or role change, starting or buying a business, getting married, or becoming a parent. </li><li>Maybe you’re exploring how to volunteer in your community, or how to donate to causes you care about.</li><li>Perhaps you want to wallpaper a room, learn to invest, or teach your old dog new tricks.</li><li>Maybe you want to conquer the territory of self — to develop greater patience and become more focused, resilient or benevolent.</li></ul>Each is a voyage awaiting a captain.Exploration is key because it helps us make good decisions despite a mind-boggling array of choices.

Changing Something In Your Life

Wistfully thinking often signals we don’t think a goal is possible and, therefore, it won’t be. If, instead, we are optimistic, saying, “I am so happy I’ve achieved this” as if we already have, there is a kernel of belief that it is within reach. Knowing our assumptions guide our movements, how do we change our assumptions so “that would be nice” becomes “this is nice”?

Achievability

Sometimes S Curves aren’t totally voluntary. Circumstances, or people who see potential in us, give us an unexpected push. Preplanned or unforeseen, thrilled or terrified, you’ll need to determine whether the reward of being on a specific curve is worth the cost. Even if the reward doesn’t initially seem greater than the cost, can you find a way to make the numbers add up?

The Cost Of The Reward

Talent development expert Whitney Johnson shares her 7-point template to help you decide if a new challenge is worth exploring.