Are you talking yourself out of even trying?

I bet I can read your mind. OK, not all the time. But right when you think of trying something new, I have a feeling I know what is going through your mind: all the reasons why it won’t work out. All the reasons why you shouldn’t even try, or how trying to change your normal way of doing things will lead to misery and failure. Lol. 

This is actually pretty dang common, maybe “reading your mind” was giving myself a little too much power. Even when we want to make a change, or try something new, our brain’s “job” is to keep us safe. And the known is always more safe than the unknown; even if it’s miserable, it’s a misery our brain feels prepared for. 

If you notice that you struggle to put yourself out there, to try new things, or to make the changes you really want to make but just can’t seem to get yourself to do them… this might be part of what is happening that’s keeping you from trying. And when we can recognize the ways we unintentionally act (or don’t take action) against our best interests, that is the magic moment when we can choose to override the patterns that keep us stuck. 

The first step to change is awareness.

See if you can notice when you talk yourself out of trying. What do you say to yourself? What are the reasons for not trying?