What Is Stopping You From Doing Something New?

Are there times that you want to try something but you hesitate to, or decide not even attempting it?

What is stopping you?

The most common answer is fear, fear of danger, pain (physical or emotional), or harm. Our brain is wired to avoid to avoid danger, pain or any type of discomfort. Why is there fear to begin with?

When you are doing something new, it is something foreign, something unknown to the brain. Your brain anticipates that may cause you harm. Your brain automatically comes up with the worst case scenario of what might happen. It meant well – to protect you from dangerous situations. To protect you from “what if this does not work”. To protect you from “what if you fail to hit the mark”. To protect you from what others would think of you (in a negative way).

The fear is especially strong and convincing when you are thinking about doing something new and out of your comfort zone. That thing is usually what will make you grow as a person and become closer to your set goal. It is so much easier to just keep doing the same thing. It is comfortable. It has become a habit or a routine.

Doing the same thing over and over will give you the same result. If you want the outcome to be different, you got to try something new, be it a new approach to do the same thing, or doing something entirely different.

Fear can be very crippling. It can stop you from moving forward. It can hinder you from taking the next step. It can cause very uncomfortable sensations in your body. It can also stir you more thoughts in your brain, thoughts of more things you are afraid of.

Fear is a natural response. Everyone has some degree of fear. It is a matter of now you handle it that determines how you will live your life. If you want to grow as a person, you will always have to face some degree of fear and try new things anyway.

Acknowledge that you are scared but you do it anyway. Resisting that emotion may actually end up to be more paralyzing to you. If you cannot even face and accept your own emotions, how are you going to face the world?

Keep your goal in mind. Why did you decide to do something new or something different? What is it that you want to accomplish? Imagine that you have already accomplished your desired outcome. How does that feel?

Simplify whenever possible. When something or some process seems to be complicated to your brain, your brain usually does not want to tackle it. Your brain either gets confused or prefers to be in a lazy mode. It wants to have the easy way out. If the new thing is something simple, has simple steps, it will be easier for your brain to understand and attempt it.

Accountability helps. If you tell someone that you are going to do something new, you are more likely to follow through and actually do it. That person can also check on you regularly to see your progress.

Oftentimes, the something new you are trying may not be as bad or as scary as you think. Yet you will not know until you start doing it.

I invite you to do the new thing scared, if it is something that you will grow from. You will become the person who is going to achieve the goals you set.