Each day, I stepped out of my comfort zone at work. It was terrible.

Editor’s note: Could simply adding an enriching or challenging activity – or giving up a bad habit or dependency – really make an impact on your workday? The CareerBuilder writers decided to find out – we each picked one thing to add on or give up for one workweek to see how it affected our workplace productivity, mood and success. We’ll be blogging about our experiences throughout the next several weeks (that is, if we make it through the challenge in one piece).

When my week came to either add or give up something for a week, I couldn’t pick a single item. So I went with a sampler of sorts. Call it a beer flight for the soul or a charcuterie board for the mind. Each day I would step outside of my comfort zone by doing something that I despise but most people would consider mundane.

Monday: Dress in business attire
On any given weekend or workday, my attire consists of jeans, a t-shirt or button-up, a hoodie, and one of many pairs of Adidas shoes. If I’ve just really given up on life I’ll wear my glasses. For the inaugural day of the challenge, I decided to dress as formally as I could using the clothes in my closet.

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