I was thinking about what was at the root of my fear to try new things. Was it only on the job that I was afraid to learn new tasks? No.
When I think about all aspects of my life. Finances, relationships, new experiences, I can pinpoint fear of trying as a major hurdle. I am afraid to look at my finances and plan for retirement because I am fearful that I will come up short. I fear going out and speaking with people. I fear learning new things because I don’t want to feel shame.
Fear has played a huge part in my life’s trajectory. I am sure I am not alone. I fear learning new skills, because I cannot say for sure it will turn out as expected.
I believe the answer to fear is courage. When you have courage, you don’t need to have the answer to everything. You don’t need to feel the fear of shame. Courage gives you the ability to look past your anxieties, and just let the cards fall where they may.
Courage is the key to living a more full life. And along with courage comes competence and confidence. When learning a new topic, you first need courage, and a wide eyed curiosity for learning. When you become skilled at the task, you gain competence, and along with this you also acquire confidence.
Courage -> Competence -> Confidence