Starting over again in our lives can lead to one of two emotions: excitement or fear. For people who have a tendency to get anxious, the latter is much more likely. Throwing yourself into an avenue where you don’t know what’s coming for you is like putting your hand in a dark hole or walking into a room with the lights off – you don’t know what to expect. It’s a natural defense mechanism to fear the unknown. But it can also prevent you from experiencing some great things in your life.
So how do you get over the fear of starting over, especially if you’ve been burned before and are unsure if this new avenue is for you? A lot of people would tell you that the key is just positive thinking but there’s a lot more to it than that. Take a look at some tips on how you can battle the fear of starting over and approach your new adventure with excitement rather than anxiety.
Here Are 6 Ways to Overcome the Fear of Starting Over
“The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear and get a record of successful experiences behind you.” – William Jennings Bryan
1. Know that you’re afraid
The first step to overcoming a fear is acknowledging its existence. Don’t ignore the fear; embrace it and see what it can tell you about yourself and the new things that you’ll be undertaking. Fear is a gut feeling that normally signals you’re anxious about something else, too. Try to identify the real source of your emotions – is it a new partner who is making you feel this way, or is it the negative possibilities involved in doing whatever it is that you want to do? Once you know what it is, you’ll be much better equipped to fight it.
2. Set goals for yourself
It’s easy to get sidetracked if you don’t have specific goals in mind of what you want to achieve. When you’re starting again, start small. Don’t be too ambitious at first. Remember, positive results only come after some time, so don’t try to accomplish your goals on the first day of your new adventure. Some goals will take you a few days to complete, while others may take months. That’s okay. Just know where you want to go, because that will make the path towards your success much clearer.
3. Don’t be afraid of failure
One of the biggest mistakes of modern education is that it teaches us mistakes are bad, and we should be scared of them. On the contrary, mistakes are the way we learn best. No one who tries hard to avoid mistakes can allow creativity into their life. In fact, a lot of business experts agree that failure should be encouraged rather than shunned. If you look up the story of any successful business owner, it’s almost 100% certain that they’ve failed at some point in their lives. Failing is never nice, but remember this: it’s all part of the learning experience!
4. Be creative and innovative
When you start a new journey in your life, it’s your chance to do something differently. Don’t be scared to approach problems from a different point of view, or to use methods you haven’t even considered before. If you’re willing to do anything, it will show you’re dedicated to the project and you want to succeed. Besides, if you’re embarking on something new with other people, that’s even more reason to be creative, because it’ll create a sense of community. You’ll all be learning something new together.
5. Think about the worst-case scenario
This might not sound like very good advice, but think about it – if you’re prepared for the worst-case scenario, then what can really surprise you? The answer is, not much. It’s not about being apocalyptic or knowing that you’re definitely going to fail. It’s more about convincing yourself that even if everything crashes and burns, the world will still keep turning and there will be a way out of it. That kind of positive mindset is crucial when starting over and it will take you a long way.
6. If you do fail, laugh at it
Everyone hates failure because it hurts, it’s uncomfortable, and it’s often embarrassing. However, if you learn to laugh at it from early on, you’ll find failure a lot easier to deal with. Besides, everyone loves a person with a good sense of humor. If you don’t take yourself too seriously, you’ll find that others won’t be quick to judge your mistakes either. Push your ego to the side and don’t be scared to fall, because that only gives you an opportunity to get back up and make light of the fall. Besides, the sooner you get yourself into that positive headspace – that failure can be funny – the sooner you’ll see your fear disappearing.
Final thoughts
Anything new is always scary and anything scary is always something we tend to put off; however, beating that fear is normally the hardest step to success. Once you’re over that bridge, you’ll find things will start happening a lot easier for you. Whether starting over or stepping out with something completely new, don’t give up. Remember – you own the fear; it doesn’t own you!
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