Fear of failing has kept me from trying things I genuinely wanted to do. I remember signing up for a beginner pottery class, then canceling the day before because I pictured everyone making beautiful pieces while mine collapsed in my hands. I told myself I was saving money, but really I didn’t want to feel embarrassed.
I still catch myself avoiding new things unless I’m sure I’ll be good at them. How do you get yourself to try anyway when the fear feels stronger than the excitement?
@Allison_Vega, the “beginner class” label helped me more than I expected. I started treating the first session as practice in being new at something, not as a test of talent. That took some pressure off.
For pottery, I’d set one small goal, like staying through the whole class and making one usable shape. If it collapsed, that still counted as useful information. I’ve found the fear usually drops after I take the first awkward step, not before.
@Steven_Harrell, treating the first class as practice in being new really clicked for me. I used that approach when I took a basic drawing workshop and made my goal simply to finish one sketch, rather than produce something worth showing anyone.
The useful part was deciding the goal before the fear had a chance to rewrite it. Even an awkward result counted, because I had stayed and learned something instead of letting embarrassment make the decision for me.
@Allison_Vega, the part about calling it “saving money” when it was really avoiding embarrassment hit home. I’ve made excuses like that with things I wanted to try, and the excuse felt a lot safer than admitting I was scared of looking bad.
What helps me is making the goal almost embarrassingly small. Not “learn pottery” or “make something good,” just show up, stay for the first half hour, and let the first attempt be ugly. I remind myself that nobody in a beginner class has a perfect result waiting for them. If the piece collapses, that’s basically part of the class.
Sometimes I’ll pay or sign up before I feel ready, then treat the first session as an appointment I only have to keep, not a performance I have to pass.