How often have you sat thinking about the thing that you really want to do, but you’re scared of doing simply because you haven’t done it before? I’m sure you can’t count it on your fingers; neither can I.
Last month, I had one of these conundrums whispering in my ears when I found a networking event that I would really loved to go to, but…
I’d never been to a networking event before! And definitely not alone.
I told myself I HAVE to go, there’s no two ways about it, but as the day came closer, my brain started coming up with different excuses to convince myself not to go– “you’re too tired, there’s too much work to do, it won’t be worth it…”
Behind all the excuses was that one reason: You’ve never done this before.
And as scary as that sounds, if I just go for this one, I will never have this same reason again.
It obviously isn’t as easy as just realising that. More often than not, the fear of doing something you haven’t done before comes from the belief that you’d fail–
It’s your subconscious screaming DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!
Your subconscious is your friend, but a friend who only allows you to go to places you’ve been to before, feel things you’ve felt before and think thoughts you’ve thought before. So while it’s trying to keep you safe and comfortable, it is also limiting the experiences you can have and the growth you can have through them.
So I sat, telling this friend inside– “it’s okay, we’re safe. Let’s try this, what if it turns around?”
I took a chance on myself and went to the event alone. In a room full of people in pairs/groups, I stood alone and that made me stand out. Some people came up to me, and some I went up to.
When I walked out, I didn’t care how many people I added on LinkedIn through the night, but rather the leap of faith I’d shown in myself, for my sake.
It can get difficult, I know. If you fear failing, remember that you’re already failing by not taking a chance on yourself. If you give yourself one chance to go do that thing and fail– You’ll still walk away with the joy of giving yourself a chance.
Easier said than done? Well, there’s small things to start with as a student: whether it’s fixing your sleep schedule or finishing that assignment before the day it’s due, they all count as firsts.
Remember, your comfort/ safe zone is not always the best zone for you, and the quicker you try to hop out of it, the better!
I’m sure you feel motivated by now but also don’t know where to start. So, let me just nudge you by asking this one simple question: What is that one thing you really want to do, but are afraid to go for because you feel you’ll fail?