Newness – Some fear it, Some crave it. What newness means depends entirely on the person experiencing it; it can range from joining a book club to starting over in a new country. Many people experience this as an exciting proposition to grow, and for the rest of us, it feels scary, unknown, and downright daunting. We fear an unknown outcome more than we fear a known negative one, often opting to remain in situations that are not well suited to us rather than deal with the inevitable uncertainty.

So why bother?

Trying new things opens up the possibility for us to get to know ourselves that much better. Whether the outcome is good, bad, or meh, you will leave with more information about yourself and hopefully new skills. Challenging ourselves is, in most cases, essential for growth. Growth = good.

Humans crave novelty. Even those of us who are very happy to hang around in our very "normal" everyday routines need to mix it up every now and again. Novelty is to boredom as challenge is to stagnation. Research backs this up; we know that dopamine often accompanies a novel experience, this gives a boost of happiness but also motivation to continue to grow.

So how can we engage with new things even when it can be so uncomfortable?

I’ll be honest it does require some work… Suppose we find ourselves assuming the worst-case scenario. To balance this out, we must also do the work of assuming the best case scenario while remaining fully aware that neither of these is particularly likely – more often than not life exists in the grey… so I encourage you to try an alternative… try to free yourself from the act of assumption. Stop yourself when you find yourself barreling towards the possible outcomes and futures in your mind and instead allow yourself the space to shrug your shoulder and say I'll have to wait and see. In most cases, no matter the outcome, you will be more than likely to be capable of managing it.