Scared to Try Something New? (3 Questions to Ease Your Anxiety)

When I first started my business, I was terrified to promote myself and ‘be visible’ on the Internet. I had a Facebook account that I barely used, my LinkedIn account was a skeleton, at most, and only those in my closest circle could access me via phone or email.

I was known as a “hermit” in high school. Friends would encourage me to join parties or go out in large groups, but that was way out of my comfort zone. I’d much prefer spending time with a few friends over a meal or hanging out by the lake.

I’ve had to do a lot of inner work (and my inner work hasn’t stopped!) to come out of my shell. I continue to grow and learn how to:

• Set boundaries

• Speak up and be assertive

• Not criticize myself so harshly

• Doubt myself less (because I am good enough)

 So you see, as a deeply-reserved individual, who’s a self-starter, and a recovering perfectionist, posting anything online makes me more than a little anxious. I sat on my completed website copy for 6 months before I would hit the publish button. Every single time I looked at my website, I found a grammatical error, a picture that wasn’t just the right size, or font that was too big or too small. There was always something wrong with the copy or design. So basically, my website just sat in cyberspace. Going nowhere fast.

How did I get over my fears and actually take action to publish? I asked for help, talked to people who I trusted dearly, and listened to their questions and comments.

Art 🎨by @wonder_doodles on Instagram

Here’s what they said that helped ease my anxiety:

“What’s the worst that can happen if you publish your website?”

“No one’s going to notice! No offense … Your website is a grain of sand on the beach in the big ‘world wide web’.”

“You can always edit later or remove the content. Nothing’s permanent. It’s your website. Do what you want with it.”

“Experiment and see… You can always adjust it.”

These beautiful humans gave me new perspectives to help shift my mindset. So why does this matter now? 

Getting myself registered for an Instagram account has been a long time coming. It was only after listening to Brené Brown's new podcast “Unlocking Us” that helped me take the leap. Simply put - #FFT aka “F*cking First Time” – which means doing something for the first time.

FFT is how I feel about IG right now. I’ve spent HOURS over the past week trying to figure out how to manage this thing and I’m expecting myself to learn this as of yesterday. What I realized is that I need to be patient and tell myself that, in time, I’ll find my rhythm -- Just like navigating the ebbs and flows of career decisions. In sharing with my friends and colleagues, they told me the same.

These learning experiences remind me to stay curious, challenge my assumptions, and learn with a beginner’s mindset. I gained new perspectives. Trying something new wasn’t as scary as I made it out to be.

ACTION:

1. What can you do differently to better understand your tendencies or habits?

2. Who in your trusted circle can you seek guidance from?

3. What resources can you tap into that will support your learning curve?

P.S. On IG, I’ll continue to share workplace strategies. And you’ll also get a peek at some of my ongoing passion projects and personal adventures! Join me on Instagram @ami.auyeung 💚🙏