photo credit

There were no mats. Just little pieces of rubber flooring on top of cheap carpet. I was the least athletic of the three of us, and we had never heard of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu before I got on the ground that very day 4 years ago. Kenny, a top shelf, athletic ex-wrestler I had just been introduced to, mounted me right away. He smothered my face, pushing my body into the ground with his hips. Just as I could take no more, he suddenly slid off my chest, giving me room to gasp for air. However, that momentary relief was immediately replaced with the sharp pain of my arm being hyper extended in an arm bar. I tapped as fast as I could, yelping…

‘TAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!’

I suddenly felt sick, and burst outside to throw my guts up. I wobbled back inside to find Brian, the instructor, amused.

‘So how do you like your first day?’ he asked.

I wearily nodded in approval, half scared he would tear off my limbs if I showed weakness, and half cause I did not have any air left to speak.  All I remember thinking as I sipped my Gatorade was…

‘Why on Earth did I agree to try this out?’

The Benefit of Trying New Things

As a writer, and someone addicted to creativity, I have found my greatest resource is attempting to try new things. Mixing up your life is a great way to expand your perspectives by seeing the world through different eyes. Each perspective you gain in life, helps increase the value of your collective perspective on life as a whole. I have never tried something new that did not come with a lesson. In fact, trying new things, especially those OUTSIDE my comfort zone, has been key to my own personal development.

Learning to Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

“Without having the courage to step outside our comfort zones, we can not possibly realize our full potential.”

Four years ago, I was very hesitant when a friend of mine asked me to start learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from him with a couple of superior athletes. I knew I would be on the bottom of the food chain, and who wants to go into something they know they are going to lose? Believe me, that first day was VERY uncomfortable. However, I stuck with it mostly cause of the challenge and my friendship with the instructor. Flash forward to now and I can not think of a single thing that has had a greater effect on the way I live my life. If not for Jiu Jitsu, I’m not quite sure where or who I would be today. It is the most consistent topic in all of my personal development posts. This is because Jiu Jitsu was personally challenging to me. By overcoming that challenge, I have filled myself with the confidence that I can overcome any other challenges in life. Therefore, simply by trying Jiu Jitsu, I became a stronger person in all the facets of my life. I replaced the fear of failing at a new challenge with the confidence of having overcome that fear.

The fear of failing, however strong it is, is just a fear.

Oxford American dictionaries defines fear as…

‘a feeling of anxiety about the outcome of something.’

Simply put, you are scared you will not meet your own expectations. To get passed this initial fear, here are….

5 Incredible Tips when trying new things:

1. Look Forward to the Challenge

Challenging yourself is quite rewarding to your spirit, even when you don’t succeed. Each time I feel anxious about trying something, I take it as a sign that I must do it. Conquering that anxiety becomes common practice after awhile, and that is the true victory of my efforts.

2. Remove All Expectations

Many people tend to get wrapped up in unrealistic expectations. On our first run, we want to beat a 6 minute mile. On our first swing of the bat, we expect to hit a home run. Be aware of the weight your expectations can hold. Otherwise, you are surely headed for disappointment.

3. Failure is a necessity

‘I can’t do it’ is not an excuse, it’s a reality. Of course you can’t do something you have no experience in. That’s why failing is necessary: It builds experience. Simply put, failing is the 1st step on the way to success. It’s like paying your dues, something every successful person has a story about. Forget the possibility that you are a one of a kind prodigy. Simply try it, fail, then try again. Repeat until successful.

4. Take Baby Steps

Talent is wonderful. Natural ability is a gift. Being a genius is an honor. All of these have one thing in common though: they represent no effort. All rewarding things in life take effort, and lots of it. Talent has to be developed. Natural Ability has to be discovered, and no matter what they tell you, no one becomes a genius without doing their share of work. When trying something new, take the pressure off of yourself to take that leap to success in one giant step. Try learning to crawl before you run.

5. Success Does Not Have A Time Frame

Do not put a time limit on achieving success. This is just another expectation that needs to be removed.  Giving up is the only surefire way to fail, so when you make the effort to try something new, stick to it. Give it time and see it all the way through, even on the bad days. The worst thing you can do is take one step and not follow up with another. Besides, you may be surprised just how far you can go.

What are you going to try?

Let’s start a discussion. What have you ever tried, despite your initial fears, that has benefitted you immensely?  Hopefully, each comment will provide motivation for all of those teetering on taking that first step out of their comfort zone!

——————————————————————————————–

If you like what you see, get all the latest updates right to your email…