For a few months, I have been thinking of starting something new. Nobody is stopping me, and I have everything to start, but still I have not started, and this made me curious, so I sat down for some time and started analysing what was happening.
Whenever you start something new, even if it is good for you and your brain, it is uncertain, and uncertainty is equal to danger for your brain. The moment the brain gets to know that this is uncertain, it signals the body, and then you start feeling strange sensations which are usually known as ‘fear’, but those sensations don’t mean something is wrong; they just mean that what you are facing or going to face is unfamiliar.
Your brain prefers familiar hell instead of unfamiliar heaven; it’s strange but true.
So whenever I think of starting something new, my brain says that
- You can’t do it because you are not capable.
- You will fail even if you complete your task.
- You don’t have everything to start the task.
- You don’t know anything about the task you are going to do.
- You need to wait for the right time.
All those are not facts. The only fact is that your brain is trying to protect you from the unknown because it wants to keep you safe because it doesn’t understand that what you are trying to do is good for your future; it just understands that unfamiliarity is a danger.
So the solution is to first be grateful for your brain because it is doing its job. That feeling of gratefulness will automatically calm the sensations of fear.
After that, give your brain a concrete task which is certain. For example, if you want to write a book, then just tell your brain that we need to write 200 words daily. This concrete task will signal certainty, and then your brain will work with you, not against you.
This applies to all the goals. Break down your bigger goal into smaller tasks, so small that your brain can’t deny them.
Sometimes, it will be a little uncomfortable in the beginning, but that’s the cost of growth.
Once you start writing 200 words daily, it will give your brain the proof that it is safe to continue, and with the power of neuroplasticity, writing will become a part of your routine and easier to follow.