Hello changemakers 👋

This week, I want to dive into a topic that I had to deal with a lot in the past (and still do sometimes nowadays): overcoming the fear of getting started. Whether it’s launching a new project, learning a new skill, or making a big life change, that initial step can be the hardest.

It's completely natural to feel hesitant when faced with something new. That initial hesitation, whether it’s a slight tinge of self-doubt or a crippling fear, is part of being human. I’ve personally struggled with this. At the end of 2021 I was battling with the idea of starting a YouTube channel. However, the fear of social judgment and self-doubt kept holding me back. It wasn’t until early 2023 (almost 1.5 years later!!) that I finally took the leap of faith and got started. And frankly, I’m very happy I finally did it. Here’s what I learned in the process.

Overcoming social anxiety

Our fear of social judgment stems from evolutionary psychology. In prehistoric times, being part of a tribe was crucial for survival. If you were ostracized, it could mean the end of you. Our brains are wired to fear social rejection because it was once a matter of life and death.

• Social anxiety is normal: Understanding that this fear is a natural part of our evolutionary makeup can help us question its utility in modern life. Is worrying about what others think really life-threatening today? Most of the time, it’s not.

• Nobody Really Cares: Most people are too busy with their own lives to worry about what you're doing. Embrace the so-called Nobody Cares Mindset. Realizing this was liberating for me. When I started my YouTube channel, I thought everyone would judge me. But in reality it was quite different. The first time a colleague of mine came to me saying he’d seen one of my Youtube videos (this one), he actually came to congratulate me on it. Quite a different reaction than I expected.

The problem with unrealistic standards

Often, we don’t want to try new things because we’re scared we won’t be any good at them. This fear of failure and self-doubt is common.

One effective strategy to overcome this is to simply lower the bar and embrace being a beginner. Most of us set the bar too high, which can paralyze us into inaction. But is good to allow ourselves to be beginners and make the mistakes that usually come along with it.

• Start small: When I procrastinate, it’s usually because I’ve set unrealistic standards for myself. Lower the bar and just show up. For instance, if you’re struggling to go to the gym, make it a win just to show up and do one exercise.

• Build consistency: Consistent action is the foundation. Once you get into the habit of showing up, you can gradually raise your standards. When I started my YouTube channel, my goal was to work on it at least 30min every day. That consistency was key to build momentum, and overtime focus on small improvements I could do every day to raise the quality of my videos.

• Embrace the growth mindset: Understand that it’s okay to be bad at something when you first start. This is a key part of the growth mindset. You can’t expect to be an expert from day one. Accepting this helps reduce the fear of failure.

By shifting your mindset and taking consistent action, you can conquer the fear of getting started and achieve your goals. What are you going to start next? Let me know by replying to this e-mail :)

Cheers,

Ignasi 🚀

Question of the week 🤔

How would your life change if you took the leap of faith and started that project or habit you've been hesitating on?

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