Are You Afraid to Try Something New?

When faced with the opportunity to try something new – what reaction do you have?

• Dread?
• Fear?
• Start making excuses?
• Run for the hills?

If you find that you get a sinking feeling in your stomach, your breath shortens, and you generally tighten up looking for ways to escape, that means you’re not very open to trying new things. (I know, tell me the obvious, right?) Well I point this out because unless you want to live in status quo land forever, you need to do things differently, BE-come more of who you are meant to be, and be willing to try new things. If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got. Bad English, I realize…but the saying is true. And in the ever-changing brave new world that has come about over the last few years of business disasters, job losses, and sweeping shifts in our very ways of living, you can no longer count on doing what you’ve always done to even get you the results you’ve been experiencing. How’s that for a game-changer?

This is actually a good thing, though, because it means there are plentiful new opportunities and new experiences at your disposal. Innovation is the key to financial security and success in today’s world. It is up to you to be creative, willing, and bold as you move forward toward what you really want.

So often I hear the phrase “at least the devil I know is better than the devil I don’t.” This way of thinking is fraught with problems on so many levels. First the devil you know is not necessarily better than the devil you don’t… it is just what you’ve known up until now. Second, the whole idea that someone, something, or some experience is infused with the energy of devilish evil sets you up for failure from the get-go.

I used to be very resistant to doing things differently. I was extremely committed to my stubbornness and just knew that my way was the right way. Yet, I could look around my life and in so many areas see that I was not experiencing what I wanted to be experiencing. I would see other people for whom things came easily and resent them. I would see people succeeding where I was not and think that they had something I didn’t have. I would meet any invitation to do something differently with 110 reasons why it couldn’t work. One day a dear mentor said to me – “OK, I’ve just given you six ways you could make this goal happen for you and you shot them all down instantly without even giving them a chance. I can’t do it for you, so what do you want from me?”

Wow, that really hurt. It felt very harsh at the time, but not because she said it in a harsh way but because I knew it was true. I was literally fooling myself. I would go through the motions but stayed committed to things not working out only so I could get down the road and say “See! That didn’t work!” It seems warped from the outside looking in, but how often have you done the very same thing? We do this not because we’re bad people or don’t have a lot to offer, it’s just feels less threatening to not have to break out of a rut, try something new, and take personal responsibility.

This is where trying something new comes in. You can either relish new experiences or be dragged in kicking and screaming, but either way the name of the game these days is change. Would you rather be master of your destiny or victim?

You become the master of your experience when you have a willingness to be open and playful with trying new things. Why is this important? Because when you see each new opportunity with openness and a sense of adventure not only will you be more successful but you will enjoy the journey a heck of a lot more. Your perspective and horizons expand exponentially. What you once thought was not possible, suddenly becomes not only possible but if you take inspired action it becomes your own experience. Something that was once only a dream becomes your reality.

How to Get Started

Your journey starts now with one small step. If you’re resistant to doing things differently as I used to be you start with small sweet steps and build up to quantum leaps. Here’s a coaching next step for you:

1) Identify at least one area of your life or business that isn’t 100% the way you would like it to be (this should be easy… it doesn’t have to be something big…).
2) Now ask yourself – What have I been resisting here? What have I been avoiding?
3) Now ask yourself – What is the 1 thing that if I did or had at my disposal would make a difference with this challenge?
4) Now simply start noticing opportunities – no matter how small that might start showing themselves to you. For instance, if you need help with a computer problem at home and you identified that having some tech support would make a huge difference – start to notice in the next week where this support might come from. Maybe you overhear someone at a dinner party talk about their college student specializing in computers and wanting some extra cash. Perhaps you meet someone who goes to a business networking group and might know a resource. Just be open to noticing – you don’t even have to act on them (yet)….build the habit of noticing. (It’s like priming your intuition).
5) Start to act! Try a baby step, give something a try, or take a small risk – and do so with full openness, trust, and playfulness. Once again – Notice what happens – what are the results? How did you feel? What did you learn?
Give these 5 steps a whirl consistently (like rinse, wash, repeat) and you will turn your dread of trying something new into a fun and rewarding game for yourself personally and professionally.
Ready to learn how to consistently make new; more powerful, more effective results the rule rather than the exception in your life? Contact me for a no-strings-attached Intuitive Intelligence™ Activation Session today http://www.thepaulagcompany.com/application and start being the master of your own destiny.