Why starting something new isn’t as easy as people think?

I’m sure you have found yourself in a situation where you’ve wanted to try out a new hobby or activity but you’ve been too frightened to do it. Friends and family will always encourage you and say you have to go do it. Realistically, it might not be that easy to actually give yourself that push when the time comes around.

As a student I find it extremely challenging to start something new. I could be jumping around my room excited to start something new but when the time comes the reality of my hectic life always seems to get in the way. Whether college throws a bunch of exams in my way or my diary is suddenly filled with meeting people and other plans. The days all seem to merge into one.

I always get little thoughts like something I’d want to start. I sit there daydreaming quite often. And I’d imagine myself in a new place trying new things and everything would seem perfect, but your imagination is an astonishing thing, no little doubt can manage to get in your mind. I always thought that, that daydream I always had in this imaginary idealistic world, would just never become a reality.

Don’t get me wrong I have attempted to start new things. None seem to ever go to plan. I started a dance class, went for a few months and it wasn’t what I was looking for, I needed something more exciting.

Then I get an email from my college, saying there was netball trials starting and they were looking to make a team. I’ve always loved netball, I was on the team in high school and I always loved it. I didn’t know whether to go or not. On one hand I wanted to be on a team, I wanted to be more sociable, make more friends, be active and be part of something. On the other hand, reality struck, I’m a nervous, unsociable student. I hate change. I struggle to talk to new people. I had to commit to something I wasn’t sure about.

I told some close friends and family that I was considering going. Everyone was so supportive telling me I should definitely go and it’ll be amazing. But it’s easy to tell someone to do something when you’re not in their position because their not the one facing the fear. Anyway, after A LOT of convincing I finally built up some courage and went. I loved every minute of the trials, it was a shame I had wasted years off a team and after 4 hours of dedication the coach told me that…

I didn’t make the team.

It was the outcome I was expecting after not playing the sport for so long, but I still had that little hope in my mind that I would make it. After this (in the least dramatic way possible)I’d lost all confidence in myself. What was I supposed to do now if I couldn’t do something I loved doing?

So why is it now, I don’t want to start something new? I think the simple answer is fear.

Fear; an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm.

Chances are a new challenge like a sport, club or activity are probably not going to cause us any physical pain or harm. But instead it’s the thought of all these things that hold us back. It’s the fear of rejection. The fear of being surrounded by new people. The fear of being put in a new environment. A fear of change. A fear of failing. A fear of underachieving along with hundreds of other reasons in our brains which talk us out of so many things.

We worry about things way too much. And them factors are all based off of hypothetical “what if” situations.

We’re all over thinkers. Everyone is prone to it. From person to person it may vary but we all subconsciously do it. Without realising. Which always makes the situation much worse in our minds. Which leaves us still not wanting to try something new. Creating an endless cycle of overthinking and worry.

New challenges are scary but if we believe they will go well and push ourselves beyond our comfort zone then we might shock ourselves, and all that time we spent worrying and overthinking will have been a waste of time. Starting something new isn’t as easy as everyone says it is. Try something new and chances are it might not be so bad after all.

Thank you for reading :)