You'll never know until
you try...
As I posted at the beginning of the week, this week's goal is "try something new".
I've often wondered what it is that prevents someone from spreading their wings and breaking out of their comfort zone. There are many things one can use as an excuse - lack of time, money issues, and not knowing where to start, just to name a few. However, I believe these excuses are used to hide the much bigger reason we fail to push ourselves - FEAR.
Fear of making mistakes. Fear of ridicule. Fear of failure
And sometimes, even fear of success.
How many times have you wanted to try something new, only to be stopped by doubts and fears? I know some of the thoughts I've experienced are: What if it doesn't work? What if I end up looking foolish? What will others think of me?
I'm currently having some issues with my four-year-old about this very subject. He tends to be very routine-oriented and is somewhat of a perfectionist. As a result, he's hesitant about trying anything new and gets extremely upset if he can't do it right the first time. Sometimes, he'll even refuse to try at all if he feels he can't win or be the best at it. This reaction may seem childish and extreme, but how many of you have ever felt the same way?
What happens when you give in to your doubts? You end up staying in the safety of what you know and are comfortable with. I know you're thinking that doesn't sound like a bad place to be, and I guess it's not. Yet, it's not a good place to be, either. You see, if you always stick with the status quo, you create stasis - the opposite of change. The result? You end up cheating yourself by failing to provide opportunities for growth.
Our daughter has nearly the opposite attitude as our youngest; she is willing to give almost anything a try. As a result, she has found growth and happiness through a variety of experiences. One of these is swimming, a sport she took up when she was eight years old. For the past ten years, swimming has been a major part of her life as she's competed for both high school and club. Not only has she enjoyed success in winning the majority of her races, but the growth she has gained through dedication, sacrifice, and being part of a team has been outstanding. My husband and I cannot imagine what the past decade would have been like without swimming and know our daughter would not be the same person without having this experience. We are extremely grateful that at that critical point ten years ago, our daughter was willing to give this "new" activity a try!
Sometimes, working up the courage push out of a comfort zone is easier said that done. Here are some strategies I've found helpful:
- Start small. If you're having difficulty breaking out of your comfort zone, trying expanding on something you already know or are comfortable with.
- Do it for yourself. Don't try something because of pressure from someone else. In order to have a good experience, you need do do it because YOU want to.
- Avoid setting yourself up to fail. When I decided to run a 10k, I knew I couldn't just show up the day of the race and expect to finish without training first. Take the necessary measures and preparation to succeed.
- If at first you don't succeed... If things don't go as planned, it's okay - maybe you'll get it right next time. It took Thomas Edison around 1000 tries before he created a working light bulb; I'm sure glad he didn't give it up after the the first time!
- There is no age limit. It's never too late to start, and you can definitely teach an old dog new tricks! A good example of this is acclaimed artist Grandma Moses, who didn't start painting until her eighties.
- Don't worry about what others might think. It's YOUR life, and other people shouldn't make judgements and assumptions. And if they do - who cares? The only person you should try to impress is yourself :)
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