Trying new things... not exactly my forte

I don't like change or trying new things. I like being comfortable and staying within my comfort zone -- staying within that zone where I know it's something I can succeed at.

I don't mind trying new things at home where no one else will see if I screw up. I hate admitting that I made a mistake or that something didn't work out.

I always seem to have a desire to try something new, but almost always talk myself out of doing it.

For example: I wanted to take a Zumba class. I had myself psyched up to go and then during the last hour before it was time to go, I convinced myself that I wasn't good enough. I wasn't going to do it perfectly. People were going to "judge" me. I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend money on a class. I kind of felt guilty doing something for myself and the thought of doing something new made me feel so anxious!!

So I decided to find a YouTube video and did Zumba at home in my living room. It was great! No criticism. I could do it whenever I found time and no one would see me make a fool of myself except my husband! haha

Anyway, after a few weeks of sticking with my Zumba video workout, I just didn't feel motivated to take the time and do it. I kept finding excuses and eventually wasn't working out at all.

So last night, I made a decision to go to Zumba. I was still on the fence trying to figuring out if I should really go or not. Then I remembered something that a friend said that their son learned from counseling -- Make a decision and stick with it. *whew!* Instead of making an empty commitment, I called up a friend that was in the class AND I called the instructor. This held me accountable to show up. Even though I still felt a little nervous, I was excited to try something new and was glad that I stuck with it.

I survived my first Zumba class and it was fun!! Now, I'm just a little sore today. haha

I'm hoping that through my attempts to try new things, I can teach my kids that it's ok to be afraid to try something new. But if they don't at least try it, they're never going to know if they'll like it or not.