As a perfectionist, my fear of doing anything I’m remotely bad at is something I’ve always avoided at all costs. This meant always sticking to hobbies I’ve been doing for years and never going out of my way to try anything new. As a result, I am now a 20-year-old who can’t drive, swim, skate or even leave the country. This realization that I can’t continue to confine myself to what I’ve always been comfortable with has crept up on me over the last few months, and around the new year, I made it a goal of mine to make 2023 the year of trying new things, the year of not worrying if I’m embarrassing myself and the year of healing my inner child by doing all the things I never grew up doing.
Movement
I was never an active child, as I was never enrolled in sports and never had the urge to do any physical activity. In 2022 I fell in love with weightlifting, and I finally tried out going to the gym. It was such a rewarding experience that I want to figure out how to move my body even more in 2023. I’ve never learned how to swim and therefore am volunteering my friends and boyfriend to teach me this year. I want to try workout classes, yoga, pilates and spin. When the weather gets nicer, I want to try running: an activity I’ve never been great at but with the proper practice and training I think I’d really enjoy. Overall, the goal is to feel more powerful in my own abilities to move, stretch and enjoy all types of physical activities.
Travel
I don’t have a passport. I never have. But this year is the year I finally go through the process of getting one and getting out of the country. I don’t care if it’s Buffalo or Hawaii or England. In 2023 I am getting over the fear of doing things I have never done such as taking a plane and leaving the country in order to finally experience life outside Canada. As someone extremely interested in culture and different lifestyles, I have an inkling that travel may be my calling, but I have just never experienced it before.
Hobbies
I have always been creative but never pursued any creative hobbies seriously. However, 2023 is the year I wish to change that and rather than spend time scrolling on my phone I want to engage in different hobbies to keep my creative mind strong. This includes crochet, painting, drawing, photography, videography, writing and so many more creative hobbies I’ve found intriguing but has never pursued far enough out of fear of failure.
Making more connections
I am an introvert at heart, who sticks by the few people I have opened up to. However, in 2023 I want to get over my fear of meeting and connecting with new people in order to let more friendships come to life. The fear stems from feeling judged and not knowing what another person may think of me. But staying true to myself and meeting people who make me feel like I can be myself around them is a goal of mine I want to achieve this year.
The vibes in 2023 have been amazing, which only means this year can and will lead to better things than the last. By the end of the year, I hope to be able to say that I went out and tried as many new things as possible without fear of failure looming behind me. The worry of what other people think or being bad at something should not stop me or anyone else from pursuing what may become one of the best things you’ve ever tried in your life.