It has become increasingly common over recent decades for people to take the easy route when making choices.

Whether it is something as major as buying a house already furnished or as simple as traveling one block by car, most people opt for the most convenient option without even thinking.

With the stresses of life looming around us constantly, living for convenience often makes sense. After all, who likes to spend their time performing a math calculation when a phone calculator can do the job faster? Why go through the trouble of making cookies from scratch when you can use a mix? There is a good reason for the things that make life easier.

At the same time, it is useful to continue to exercise your mind and challenge yourself on a regular basis.

We’re not saying you should calculate every mathematical problem by hand or walk ten miles to class in a blizzard when you have a car available (even though that’s how your grandparents got to school every day, right?)

But we do encourage you to take the extra effort every once in a while to challenge yourself to go above and beyond in some way. Maybe that’s working on an extra credit project you weren’t planning on completing. Maybe it’s waking up ten minutes earlier in the morning. Or maybe it’s forgoing your favorite junk food one day.

No matter what it is, the occasional challenge is good for you. Mental stimulation will keep your brain sharp, and physical challenges will improve your health.

We know what you may be thinking. “I already work hard enough at school; I don’t want to spend my free time working, too.”

Well, a challenge doesn’t have to be work, and it doesn’t even have to take up extra time; it just has to bring you out of your comfort zone. Different people find different activities to be a challenge, and often they have fun doing them.

Many people enjoy doing brain teasers, from sudokus to logic puzzles. The Daily Eastern Newspublishes a crossword on Page 6 every day, and the 2019 Housing and Dining Guide even includes a scavenger hunt to partake in; these are some quickly accessible ideas for a mental challenge.

Whatever you decide to do to challenge yourself, you can look back and be proud of yourself for your accomplishment after you’re done, and then continue to seek out other challenges.

It feels good to go above and beyond, so don’t let anything stop you from expanding your potential.