4 Excuses You Use to Avoid Trying Something New - The Muse

4 Excuses You Use to Avoid Trying Something New - The Muse4 Excuses You Use to Avoid Trying Something NewA year or so ago, a handful of my husbands co-workers were organizing a group to andrang a 5K race in ur community to benefit the American Cancer Society. I thought it was a worthy cause- but, that didnt change the fact that I am definitely not a runner. Regardless of my whining, my husband begged me to sign up with him. And every time, I refused. Ill make a fool of myself, I told him, Ill probably trip or slow everybody else down. Yes, I had plenty of excuses for why the idea of me huffing and puffing in a pair of running shoes just wasnt a good one. After my husband asked me for what had to be the hundredth time, I realized something This was yet another time when I was letting my fear of the unknown hold me back. I was choosing to limit myself, because I had created this big, scary result in my head- before I even really knew what might happen.We all have the tendency to do thi s same thing- particularly when it comes to our careers. We dont want to take on that challenging project because it seems like its too far out of our wheelhouse. We dont want to make that major career change because it seems totally unfeasible. Or, we dont want to volunteer for that amtsstube committee because weve never done something quite like that before.But, you know what? Trying something new isnt all bad. In fact, it can actually be pretty exciting. So, as soon as you catch yourself repeating one of these common excuses to yourself, I think you should lace up your running shoes and take the leap anyway. 1. I Wont Be Good at ItLets start with the most obvious one. More often than not, you hold yourself back from something new and scary because youre convinced youll fail at it- much like I envisioned myself sending an entire line of runners tumbling over a curb. But, how do you know you wont be good at something before you even give it a go? Spoiler alert There really is no wa y to know. And, if you convince yourself that youll fail at something right out of the gate, all youre doing is jumping to conclusions with a bunch of unproductive, self-deprecating thoughts.Dont let the fear of failure or embarrassment be the thing that holds you back in your career. As hockey great Wayne Gretzky (or, for all of you The Office fans, Michael Scott) says, You miss 100% of the shots you dont take.So, go ahead. Take a deep breath and take the shot, whether that means going for that promotion or speaking up with a new idea in a team meeting. If you miss, you miss- but, at least you know you tried. 2. I Dont Have TimeTime can be limited and our days get ridiculously busy. And, leaning on your hectic schedule as a reason for why you cant take on anything new is easy to do.Believe me, I tried the very same tactic when trying to talk my husband out of that run I was dreading. But, heres the thing Deep down, I knew that I could definitely find the time- or, more appropriatel y, make the time- to squeeze in a couple more weekly workouts and training runs. It was just a matter of wanting to do it.As with anything, youll make the time for things that matter to you. Yes, that might mean some schedule juggling or a slightly earlier wakeup call. But, if theres something new or challenging youd like to try your hand at, a packed agenda shouldnt be the thing that prevents you from going for it. 3. Its Too Much WorkTying into the above point about a lack of time, its also tempting to tell yourself that tackling a new challenge will simply involve too much work. You already end each day feeling completely exhausted. So, why stretch yourself even more by spearheading that new initiative for your anfhrer or signing up for a course to beef up one of your skills?I get it- trying something new definitely takes a serious investment in both time and energy. But, dont all great things? Isnt there some old saying about how anything worth having is worth working hard for?P utting yourself out there and trying something new will likely involve some elbow grease on your end- I wont sugarcoat it. But, think about this Do you really want laziness to be what prevents you from discovering something new and potentially awesome? My guess is probably not. 4. I Dont Fit the MoldThis is perhaps the biggest excuse that echoed around in my brain when I was trying my best to slip away from that 5K without being noticed. You dont look like a runner, said that pesky, negative voice in the back of my head, Everybodys going to look at you and think, What is she doing here? Who does she think she is? Youve probably been here too. We all develop these ideas of what something or someone should look like. And, if we dont seamlessly fit that mold, we use that as justification for walking away. I didnt think I looked like a runner. But, maybe you dont think you look like youre ready to try for that management promotion, because youre still young and are worried people wouldn t take you seriously as a leader.However, heres the important thing you need to remember There is no mold- at least not if you refuse to perpetuate one.I know it can be tempting to think that only certain types of people go after the thing youre currently dreaming about. However, chances are, theres no firm and rigid criteria for chasing that opportunity. And, if there is- well, ultimately theres nothing wrong with breaking the mold. The reason I know that the above are all just excuses youre making? Because I did eventually run that 5K- and I crossed the schliff line with my dignity intact.The whole experience illustrated something important to me (other than the fact that Im right to admire marathoners- running is hard) Just because my natural inclination is to hold myself back doesnt mean I always have to do so. And, guess what? Neither do you, my comfort zone-loving friends.Photo of person talking courtesy of PeopleImages.com/Getty Images.