Many people are afraid of making mistakes when they attempt to do something. Some are so petrified of making a mistake that they are afraid of trying something new, afraid of expanding their skill set because they are afraid of doing it incorrectly and making a mistake. They’re afraid of the embarrassment of making the mistake in front of others, and they’re afraid of possible ridicule they may experience from making that mistake in front of others. However, allowing yourself to not try anything new, going through new experiences, and learning new skills is a recipe for holding you back from your greatest potential and is the greatest mistake of all that you can make.
When you shy away from trying anything new, you’re limiting your own potential and your own ability to handle things. It also limits your ability to achieve accomplishments you set out to do, as well as limits you from achieving your best possible self. Who knows what you can accomplish if you are willing to try new things. You may learn you have an innate ability to produce something or handle something that could help the world, but if you are afraid to try an activity or two that involves this skill, you may never discover it, and the world at large will suffer because of your fear to try the new activity that could reveal your hidden skill.
Additionally, you are denying yourself of your true potential by being afraid of taking on new challenges and activities. You think you are protecting yourself from fear, embarrassment, and ridicule by avoiding doing new tasks whenever possible, but in truth, you are just hiding behind the usual tasks you know you can do well because it’s safe and comfortable. Virtually every great person has had to get out of their comfort zone to find out what they truly excel at and make their lives meaningful and great.
Sure, you can go life just doing the mundane tasks you know you can do well, but will that truly fulfill you? Will you truly be happy? Will you achieve your best ability by just doing the mundane tasks you know you can do well? Very likely, you will not. Unfortunately, you’ll never know your real self and your truest, highest potential if you don’t try new activities that expand your skill set and help you to grow as an individual. Therefore, shying away from new activities out of fear, embarrassment, and/or ridicule is the greatest mistake you can make and the greatest obstacle to you reaching your truest, fullest potential.