When was the last time you tried something new?

A couple of years ago, I signed up for my first sprint triathlon which took place 6-months after I signed up. I know I will not have much trouble with the cycling or running sections (it may not look pretty but I will get through it) but it is the swimming section that concerns me because I have never taken any swimming lessons. My swimming stroke is best known as the surviving technique as this is the method that I taught myself as I literally jumped into the water many years ago.

This weekend, I had my first swimming lesson. Besides the instructor asking me if I was sure I signed up for a swimming lesson as opposed to a scuba lesson, it actually went better than I thought! I was as nervous, as were my 3 other classmates, but in the end we all survived. Each of us were at different levels, each of us had different fears and each of us had our own hesitancy but we all enjoyed and look forward to going back next week. 

I have wanted to learn how to swim and do a triathlon for many years now and I ask myself why it has taken me this long to finally do it. Some of it had to do with just making the time, stop making excuses and just simply committing to it. But there was also the fear of doing something new for the first time. As we grow as adults, as we progress in our careers and as we are asked to act our age, that fear will at times stop us from doing something new for the first time because we are afraid of failing or even enjoying in being who we are or want to achieve. But I have learned over the years the pay back I get when I try something new outweighs the fear. I love the anxiety factor of preparing and committing to it, the energy is exhilarating. Most of all, I love the challenge to achieve and even over achieve. I have learned that we get over our failure by just practicing; practicing and practicing. Think of the first time you tried to kick a football or shoot a basketball or read a book, I am sure you failed but something kept you going. Confidence plays a big factor of course and at times we need to get this confidence on our own but hopefully there are times when others will help you get this confidence. 

A couple of quotes that I think about and I have come up with 

–          Do or Do Not, but there is no Try … Yoda

–          You don’t fail if you fall; you only fail if you do not get up

–          Be comfortable being uncomfortable