The Art of Trying is my little corner of Her Campus at FSU, where I step outside my comfort zone and dive into something new, whether it’s a hobby, craft, class, or trend. I’ll explore what each experience has to offer, sharing all the highs and hiccups along the way. I hope to inspire you to take that first step toward the unfamiliar and experience the art of trying.
As I wrap up my final year of undergrad, as well as my final article for Her Campus at FSU and this column, I can’t help but think about how much I’ve changed over the last four years. Not in one big, dramatic moment, but in a series of small decisions to try.
Over the past few years, I’ve done things I once felt intimidated by, put myself in unfamiliar situations, and followed opportunities I might’ve once overthought. I’ve done things I never thought I’d do, learned things I never expected to, and tried things I never would’ve. If you told me even a year ago the things I’d be doing and experiencing, I would’ve never believed you.
Trying
As I reflect on this tremendous growth, be it personal, professional, emotional, or academic, I realize that it all truly comes down to one thing: trying. You must be willing to go out of your comfort zone to try new things, whether it’s going to new places, talking to new people, or learning new things. It all comes down to trying, to putting in effort to break through the mundane and experience something new.
You must also be willing to try when it comes to accomplishing your goals and chasing your dreams. Consistent effort is the soil from which achievements grow. If you don’t try and try again, how can you expect to get better at something? How can you expect to grow?
All of this is starting to make the art of trying sound like an easy feat, and trust me, I know it’s not. I know how much effort trying something new takes, and how frustrating or disappointing things can be when they don’t come as easily as you expect. However, when you keep trying, keep learning, and keep growing, you’ll soon look back and realize how much you’ve changed.
The Experience
College is one of the few times in life where trying is embedded into your environment. You’re constantly surrounded by new people, ideas, and opportunities, such as new clubs to join, events to attend, and classes to enroll in. However, those opportunities don’t actually mean much unless you’re brave enough to reach out and grab them.
Trying isn’t always exciting, aesthetic, or easy. Trying can look like going to a meeting alone, starting a conversation with someone new, signing up for something you might not be good at, or even sticking with something when it starts to get difficult. Not every new thing that you try will stick, and that’s kind of the point. The goal isn’t to be good at everything, but to be open to anything.
In my case, trying has looked like joining student organizations where I didn’t know anyone, signing up for classes of things I’m not good at, going to campus events alone, trying new hobbies, and saying yes to things I was once inclined to say no to. All these decisions have culminated in the person I am today.
Tips for Beginners
My first tip is to start small. Trying doesn’t have to mean reinventing your whole life. It can be as simple as attending one new event or picking up one new habit. You also must get comfortable being uncomfortable. This is almost like a muscle: the more reps you do, the easier that weight gets, and then you can start to increase it and try even more new things. It all becomes easier.
Another tip is to detach from the outcome. Not everything you try needs to turn into a side hustle or a passion. Sometimes, the value is simply in the art of trying or the art of experiencing. It’s also important to stay consistent, as growth comes from repetition, from trying and then trying again, not from one perfect moment.
If there’s one thing this column, and this year, has taught me, it’s that trying was never about the outcome, but about who I became along the way. From trying and trying again, I’ve changed and grown in ways I once would’ve never imagined. So, whatever you’ve been thinking about starting or hesitating on, consider this your sign. Experience the Art of Trying.
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