Read this if you're always scared of trying new things.
Remember when you had that uncontrollable desire to do more and move to the next level of success in your life?
And then you were brought face-to-face with a task you never had to do before?
Chances are you've experienced what I'm about to share with you even once and if you still have issues with taking action when faced with new and "scary" things, stick with me till the end and I'll share with you how I go about tackling this fear.
First off, with the digging I've done on this topic, I can confidently tell you that there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to hide under a rock every time you have a new challenge ahead of you.
Why?
Because it's science. It's human nature, it's whatever it is that makes you human.
If you had the fear of putting yourself online as someone who renders a particular service for the first time, there are two things that separates you from someone who promotes his service like a pro.
What are these things?
Exposure and Tolerance. There's no secret strategy to overcoming this type of fear, you just have to accept that you're not going to be great at it straight off the bat.
What happens when you're suddenly standing face-to-face with a scary new task you have to do is that your brain enters "survival mode."
Your brain was designed to keep you safe and ensure that you survive by thinking of the safest route out of a new and possibly scary situation.
In a way, that can prove really helpful when you're in real trouble but it could also stand in the way of your personal growth and progress.
Why?
Because you need to overcome those necessary yet uncomfortable situations to achieve your next level of success.
Growth doesn't happen when you stay in your comfort zone. It happens when you step out of it.
And I know that might sometimes seem like there's no good to come from it, but there is a way you can make this seem like a piece of cake.
I'll break down 3 of the things you might feel when you encounter situations that require you to do something you've never done before:
1. Fear Of Messing Up
If you're a bit of an overthinker like myself, you can probably relate to how difficult it would be not to consider failure as a strong possibility in your decisions.
Lately, I've found a way to enjoy "messing up" and I call it the "Experiment Process."
The experiment process is basically this: Think of how scientists carry out lab experiments with no certainty of the outcome. They carry out the experiments regardless of the outcomes because they see it as an opportunity to discover something new.
It's the same with unfamiliar situations. No matter how anxious or panicky you feel, you never truly know how it's going to play out until you carry out the experiment.
Even if you mess up Big Time. Great! You've learned something you didn't know before carrying out the experiment and with that knowledge, you can be sure you will feel less afraid about the subsequent outcome. So keep experimenting with new things.
The truth is, messing up isn't the same thing as failing. You only fail (and I want you to remember this) when you stop trying.
2. Low Self-Confidence
I'll let you in on a little-known secret…
Everyone has a lack of self-confidence. It's not just you.
Low self-confidence stems from a lack of competence.
When you're faced with a task you've never done before, you start at Zero competence because you don't know what it'll take you to succeed.
You might not even have the faintest clue.
Competence doesn't come with a lack of trying. It's something that happens not over time either but with frequency. The more you practice that particular thing, the more you learn about what you need to become better at it. The more you know, the higher your competence level, and with that comes self-confidence.
So you see, being worried about not being confident at something you're either relatively new at or haven't done before isn't logical.
Your brain implants the idea of you not being good enough because it's trying to protect you from something new and unpredictable.
3. Shame Of Looking Stupid
What if I told you that you had to be willing to look stupid to be great?
Did that calm your nerves a little?
Think about it... no successful entrepreneur ever got to where they are now by being naturally great at everything. They went through a process. A painful process that made them feel like they were losing their pride, their dignity, and their self-esteem but you know what they did despite all that?
They moved on.
Yes, you read me right. They went through the phase of looking stupid and being seen as someone who didn't know what the heck they were doing because no one ever knows what exactly to do when starting something new.
You learn along the way. You adapt to the situation but only if you don't stop. Because if you do, then you're just another person who looked like a novice and never bothered to leave that state.
Here's one more hard truth. If you want to grow, personally or professionally — Know that it's a painful process.
Positive growth is a painful process and that's why only a few people ever do it.
One last thing...
The next time you find yourself panicking about doing something you have no experience with, go out there and make the experiences yourself.
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