Starting a new hobby or skill can be daunting for some people. So why is it hard to start something new?
People have the common fear of failing the first time around, as they intend to be perfect.
Perfection is often misunderstood in society, as that can be the ultimate outcome in some instances.
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Don’t expect to be perfect
Achieving perfection is an unrealistic goal, as no one is perfect.
It’s important to remain patient as they learn a new skill or a process of doing a task.
The reality is you’ll likely fail the first time starting something new. Or simply put, you will suck at first.
In this post, we’ll go over common reasons why it’s hard to start something new for the first time. Also, I will go out some examples to apply this concept.
- Overcoming The Fear Of Failure
- Embracing Mistakes As Part Of The Learning Process
- Building Confidence To Learn New Hobbies And Skills
- Reducing Overwhelm
- Managing Information Overload
- Addressing The Lack Of Time
Overcoming the fear of failure
Fearing failure can be a major obstacle when starting something new, and that’s what can hold people back from their true potential.
Failure should not be something to be scared of, but rather, it should be viewed as a learning experience.
Here’s the thing: it’s very likely that you will fail at some point in life. If you start on something new, it’s possible that you will fail the very first time.
So I’ll say this right now- embrace failure.
Why is hard to start something new?
People fear failing when doing something for the first time. There’s an expectation to be perfect so that they get a great response from others.
The reality is that achieving perfection is unrealistic. No one is perfect; therefore, you’re going to suck at first when implementing a new skill or task.
The more you practice, the better you’ll become in mastering a skill over time.
Embracing mistakes as part of the learning process
Failure should be a natural part of the learning process. When you make mistakes, these setbacks can be seen as something that can help you later on.
Learning from your mistakes will help you do better moving forward, and you likely won’t repeat those similar mistakes again.
Starting my YouTube channel
When I started making videos, I made some mistakes here and there.
Although I didn’t want to make those mistakes, I knew that it was only going to help me become better at making videos over time.
Getting started on something new can be nerve-racking. But after doing it for a while, you’ll make mistakes and you’ll learn how to do things better down the road.
A relevant article from notimekillers.com
Read next on “Why Failing Is Good For You: 5 Reasons Failure Is Necessary“, to learn why failure is key to getting better at anything in life.
Building confidence to learn new hobbies and skills
Some people have low confidence when starting a new hobby or skill.
It can be overwhelming at first, but they just have to get their things in place to learn how to do it properly.
When they lack the resources to learn a new skill, that can be very discouraging for them.
Especially when they don’t have people to ask questions, they can lower their confidence to start a new venture.
What I do
When I learn a new skill, I certainly may not know anything at all. But whatever training I’m going to do, I break it down into smaller steps.
If I need to ask questions or get help, I’ll be sure to reach out to people who are knowledgeable in that skill.
What is the fear of starting a new task?
For most people, feelings of anxiety may arise as they enter unfamiliar territory.
When people are learning or starting a new task, it can be daunting- which leads to nervousness and feeling uncomfortable.
Reducing overwhelm
As mentioned earlier, people can feel overwhelmed when they have a lot of information thrown at them.
It’s important to break down the learning process and to master a new skill. When you have a specific process in place, it’ll be easier to know where to start.
Managing information overload
When tackling information overload, it helps to break down the learning process into manageable steps.
Some of these basic steps include the following:
- Focusing on one skill at a time
- Finding a mentor
- Any resources online (Google Scholar, Wikipedia, or other authority websites for accessing valid information)
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Addressing the lack of time
These days, people feel rushed or that they are falling short on time. They feel like they don’t have enough time to devote to learning a new hobby or skill.
To address the issue of time, some ways that you can make more time include the following:
- Setting aside a specific time each day to practice
- Prioritize what needs to get done first
- Finding ways to integrate a new skill into applicable areas of your life
My best practice: Set aside at least one hour each day
When setting a time to learn a new skill, I suggest setting aside at least one hour a day to learn it.
You’d be amazed to see how much you can learn by just setting aside one hour each day.
If one hour is too much, then try to put aside 20-30 minutes. Even a half hour is a win-win if you’re really short on time.
One thing to keep in mind: You do have time.
Everyone has the same 24 hours as you do, so it’s important that you make the time for what matters most.
A relevant article from notimekillers.com
Read next on “Can You Use Your Time Wisely? 5 Reasons To Consider“, to learn how to use your time more effectively when it comes to making the most out of it.
Final Words
When learning something new, it can be daunting and feel uncomfortable.
Taking the first step to learning that new hobby or skill, it’s the start of what could potentially make you more valuable down the road.
One thing to keep in mind and this aspect is to be patient. Like anything in life, you’re not gonna master anything overnight.
Understand that it takes time to understand the concepts. By practicing over and over again, you’ll become better at it over time.
Get used to being “imperfect”
So screw up, make mistakes, and learn from it because it’s all part of the bigger process of getting better.
In other words, you’re going to suck at it when you’re just starting out. You’ll be at your worse today, but much better tomorrow and going forward.
Your Turn: What’s holding you back from starting something new?
I would like to get your thoughts on this topic. Have you felt uncomfortable when starting a new skill?
Does it feel daunting to go through the learning process? What can make it easier for you to make that process easier?
Do you believe making mistakes is essential to getting better at something?
Are you willing to accept that you will be worse off today but much better off in the future?
Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below. I look forward to reading your responses, and I’ll gladly respond promptly.
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Eric is the owner and chief editor of notimekillers.com. He takes great pride in helping people manage their time and grow their businesses. Eric is a firm believer in financial and time freedom, as he believes in financial independence and taking ownership of your time. “Time is your most important asset. It can be your best friend or worst enemy. How you use your time can shape the future you desire to have.” In his leisure time, Eric loves to write and read whenever possible. He enjoys going for long walks outdoors while doing in-home workout videos every week. You can also connect with Eric via LinkedIn.
