What do you keep putting off?

We all have things that nudge us. Things like trying a new class, getting back into a hobby, or taking time for ourselves.

But when we come up against actually doing those things, we get scared.

Why?

What is it that scares us about doing something new or different?

Really, it could be a variety of things – fear of rejection, fear of looking like a fool… etc.

Recently, I was nudged to start trail running. I kept getting these inner promptings to try it. But I kept talking myself out of it. My mind made up all kinds of reasons why it wasn’t a good idea – what if I twisted my ankle out in the woods? What if it started raining? What if I couldn’t REALLY do it?

Mostly I think I was afraid of disappointing myself. If I got out in the woods and could really only run 3 steps, I would have to face the failure. And that just seemed too hard. I just didn’t want to have to admit to myself that I couldn’t do it.

I finally got out on the trail. And wow. The beauty of it was, when I was actually out there, I didn’t really care how many steps I ran. What I really wanted was to be doing some physical activity deeply immersed in nature. It was peaceful, energizing, and invigorating. And, I ran more than three steps ;)

Stretching our boundaries brings confidence.

One of the enormous benefits of stretching our boundaries is, it brings deep confidence. Even if we aren’t superstars on our first try, there is something about doing something new that lets our psyche know that we’re strong.

I heard a fantastic quote on So You Think You Can Dance the other night. Lil C said:

“Lack of Confidence is the heaviest anchor you can put on yourself.”

I thought that was incredibly profound and it made me think about all the situations in my life where, I sabotaged myself simply through lack of confidence.

What is it that you want to do? What unfounded fear is holding you back?

Last night, I got the nudge to go to an Ashtanga Yoga class that I hadn’t been to in a while. I was a little apprehensive. I dealt with fear of falling out of poses, fear of not being able to keep up, fear of being judged. And then my brain started making excuses. But the nudge to go was so strong, I couldn’t ignore it.

I went.

I wasn’t perfect – but I held my own pretty darn good. I was happy with my performance in class last night, and that’s all that matters. I loved it, and I feel great today.

You don’t have to be perfect at something the first time you try it. If you are getting a nudge to do something, there’s a good reason for those inner promptings. Go for it!