Newsletter: Why not just try?
Hi everyone,
Have you ever cared so much about a certain goal that you found it really hard to take action towards it? You end up stuck, desperate to do the thing but also terrified to do the thing. Read on for a new way to deal with those moments.
I'm also happy to share our podcast is back! This week is all about how to find hope in difficult times.
Have a good week,
Stephanie Harrison, founder of The New Happy
this week
When a goal is important to us, it can become overwhelmingly scary to actually do something about it. What if I mess it up? What will people think of me? What if it isn't as good in real life as it is in my head? Our identities get wrapped up in it, imagining the way this project might define who we are, and we never even get started.
Try This
There’s a simple mindset shift, inspired by scientists, that can help us: viewing your goal as an experiment. This creates some psychological distance between you and your objective. It helps to bring you back to what you can control, focuses you on action, and shifts you to a place of curiosity instead of fear. If you were to design an experiment that helped move you a little bit closer towards your goal, what would it be? How could you try to learn about what works and what doesn't? For example:
· You want to start your own company. Ask yourself: How can I learn about what my potential customers really need?
· You want to find a new job. Ask yourself: How can I learn about my value on the job market?
· You want to create something original. Ask yourself: How can I test out one of my ideas and get some quick feedback?
More Tips and Tools
1. Stuck in the past or the future (Instagram) — Get back to the present.
2. Building confidence (Instagram) — You're not supposed to do it alone.
3. Events are neutral (Instagram) — It's how you interpret it that matters.
4. How to find hope (Podcast) — Hope is an action.
community
"I moved to a random new country and it has been stressful, but amazing."
"I tried the gym for the first time last week. I'm so unfit so I thought I'd hate it. I actually loved it!"
"Asked a girl out (as a girl) and she said yes!"
"I trusted my PT with advice on walking with my crutches. Sca-ry!!"
"I said no to my boss. And it was okay! Nothing bad happened!"
This week, I hope you'll see an opportunity to say 'yes' to something new, or 'no' to something old, and watch as that little shift opens up a whole world of possibility for you.
inspiration
1. View Amazing Shots of Space From the Astronomy Photographer of the Year Contest (Smithsonian) — We are so very small. Remembering that makes us kinder and more generous.
2. ‘It’s changed how the village feels’: the artists brightening up shop shutters (Positive News) — I love this story about how a Manchester suburb transformed using the power of art.
3. She gave away her wedding gown on Facebook. Soon others did too. (Washington Post) — This week's New Happy Hero is Gwendolyn Stulgis, who inspired a chain of giving amongst recent brides.
before you go
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