Everything you have ever done was new once. Braiding your hair. Dunking french fries in ice cream. Going ice skating. Being open to trying new things is important. But you have to draw the line somewhere. Like meth. Don’t try meth. But other more reasonable things you should try. The new year is the perfect time to finally take an art class, learn a new language, join a book club, plant a garden, or start kickboxing classes. I’m often asked how a girl from Kansas, who lives in Texas, ended up sliding down icy mountains in a bobsled. My answer: Because I wasn’t afraid of trying new things.
During my junior year of high school, I received a recruiting letter from the Kansas State University women’s rowing program. I had never rowed a day in my life, but I was open to the opportunity. After visiting the campus and meeting with the coaches, I decided to accept the scholarship and join the rowing team. Learning an entirely new sport at a NCAA Division 1 level was intimidating. It helped to know most of the other girls were in the same boat. (Pun intended) I learned so much about myself, rowing, and life through my five years on the team that wouldn’t have been possible without taking the risk to start something new.
During the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, one of my current bobsled teammates won her first of three Olympic medals. The announcers were discussing how so many of the athletes on the US bobsled team come from collegiate sports backgrounds. That piqued my interest. I was in my last semester of college and wasn’t ready to be done with sports. A quick internet search told me that I fit in the height and weight requirements they were searching for. I prayed about it, talked to my mom (who was initially shocked but on board), and sent in my sports resume. I was later invited to a tryout and eventually made the team. For the past 9 years, I’ve been trotting across the globe each winter sliding down icy mountains. Again, a new opportunity presented itself and another sport changed my life because I said yes to something new.
Photo Credit: @rekords
But let’s be real. People rarely talk about is how trying new things is super intimidating. It sounds so fun and exciting at first, but then you actually start doing it. You feel awkward and embarrassed as you learn. Unfortunately for beginners of all things anywhere, we must fight through those initial phases of clumsy incompetence to knit a sweater, or learn French, or start bobsledding, or whatever new thing it is that you’ve decided to do. Here are 3 things to remember as you launch yourself into a new experience.
1. It’s fine not to love it right away.
My first trip in a bobsled was not a fun experience. I didn’t have the right equipment. The pilot I was sliding with told me basically nothing. I had no clue what I was doing and was afraid I’d forget to pull the brakes and ruin everything. My body ended up covered in bruises and 54 seconds never felt so long in my life. I walked away from that first day determined not to give up on my dream, but I can undoubtedly tell you I didn’t have fun.
“Deep in our brains there’s a primeval fear of looking bad, a fear of not performing as well as others. One of the challenges with new hobbies is the fact that you’re meeting new people, new groups, new experiences, and that triggers a lot of that anxiety we have about being the newcomer.” – Keith Rollag, management professor at Babson College and the author of What to Do When You’re New: How to Be Comfortable, Confident, and Successful in New Situations.
In other words: Not loving it right away isn’t a sign that you’ve made a terrible mistake. It’s part of being human. Enjoyment will come as the newness fades.
2. Go in with the right mindset
Have you ever not started something new because it seems like too much pressure? Do you not even start a task or hobby because you don’t think you can master it immediately? (My hand is raised. I’m a recovering perfectionist and people pleaser who doesn’t like to do things in public until I’ve mastered them.)
Enter this new venture with a learning mindset, expecting to make mistakes and learn from them. Demanding immediate mastery of a new skill or hobby is unrealistic and will make you feel like a failure pretty quickly. The fun is figuring out how to solve problems and improving as you go. This isn’t about impressing other people. Going into this new venture with a learning approach allows you to enjoy the journey – even as you’re floundering through the beginning stages.
Remember that we all have to start somewhere. My big goal has always been to compete in the Olympics, but I had to start with learning how to push a bobsled, which was comical that first season. Give yourself some grace and just get started.
3. Prepare before you start
I do this every time I have to learn to drive a new track in bobsled. There are many ways I prepare: watch YouTube POV videos, study track notes, mentally drive down the track, and walk the track to discuss what I should do before ever taking a trip down the mountain in a sled. I envision different scenarios to prepare for what might happen as I fly down the track at 85mph. This helps me stay calm as I process what’s happening because I’ve already practiced each situation before it happens.
Whatever you’re trying, doing a little prep work beforehand can make your first time a lot less intimidating. When we rehearse things, it’s like we’ve already partly done it before. The more prepared you feel, the more comfortable and relaxed you can be in new situations.
Want to take up baking? Before you burn that first batch of cookies, do your research. Read through the entire recipe, going over the step by step instructions and look up any terms you don’t know. Learning to drive a manual vehicle? Watch a few YouTube videos. Never underestimate the power of a good Google search, a trip to the library, or asking an experienced person the right question. Any amount of knowledge you can gather will make you help you feel a little better at the onset of a new venture.
So as life presents you with new opportunities, don’t let fear stop you from trying new things. Except for meth. (Remember hugs not drugs!) Whatever it is, be okay with not loving it right away. Be patient with yourself and ready to learn. And do your homework. These three step will help you branch out this year, even if you’re a little scared or uncertain. Embrace new things with open arms and a positive attitude, because you never know where a scary-seeming task might lead you. It could be somewhere awesome!