The First Time

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I saw this image on Twitter lately and it struck a chord. Whilst I’m actually happy(!) that the very first OnFARM podcast was pretty good (because we brought in an expert rather than trying to create it ourselves with very little knowledge – more on that another time!), the concept is still true.

How often have we tried something, or witnessed others trying to do something, and not been great at it?

I still refuse to go ice skating because the first few times I tried, I was hopeless (and now I never go because I simply can’t afford the inconvenience of breaking my wrist!) and I often hear my ten-year-old daughter showing reluctance to do something because she isn’t yet good at it. She signed up for Junior Duke (Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme for younger children) and immediately read the list of requirements and said she couldn’t do most of them.  It was only when we ran through them each in turn that she realised they were all doable – with a little practice or perseverance or maybe just with a bit of belief.

It comes back to something that I said in another of our Monday emails a while ago – WHETHER YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN, OR YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN’T, YOU’RE RIGHT.

So let’s start believing!  I believed that Scene & Herd could set up a successful (and good quality) podcast and we did.  I believe I can’t ice stake – and so I can’t. If I believed that my body couldn’t cope with the cold when I go sea swimming then it wouldn’t, but I believe and I know that it can.

What stops us? Fear of failure? Fear of looking stupid? Or is it simply a lack of courage? Or are fear and lack of courage the same thing?

We need to start giving things a try, even if they scare us. Maybe that should be a resolution for 2024 – to do something every day that scares us?

What would your thing be?

I’d love to know.

Meantime, take care,

Anna