Why Is It Important to Try New Things?

If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.” ~ W.L. Bateman

This may seem like stating the obvious, but isn’t it amazing how many of us do the same things over and over and wonder why we keep getting the same results.  If you plant an acorn, you get an oak tree, no matter what you use to fertilize it or what you water it with. It’s all about perception. The way we behave, the way we think, even the way we feel is filtered through our own experiences.  And our experiences continue to be the same so long as we continue to do the same things.

Trying new things can be daunting.  Most of us feel secure in our comfort zones and do not like the unfamiliar. We’re afraid of the unknown, always anticipating the worst case scenario. But what about the benefits of trying new things?

Trying new things forces us to be courageous.  Acts of courage inevitably lead to increased confidence, and confidence builds on self-esteem.

Trying new things opens you up to possibility.  Possibility fires the imagination and can lead to a life lived more joyfully and expectantly.

Trying new things keeps boredom at bay.  Boredom ensures that we remain stagnant with no possibility of development.

Trying new things drives personal growth.  Doing the same things day in and day out, eating at the same restaurants, thinking the same thoughts, having the same old tired conversations requires only what we have learned until now.  Growth requires action, in the form of new situations, experiences or attitudes.

Our brains require challenges in order to remain stimulated.  It’s a medical fact that the older we get, the more our brains need to be active.  So instead of slowing down as we get older, we should be trying new things, learning new things, challenging our long held beliefs about the world and about ourselves.

Change is good.  Change is necessary in order to move forward.

What changes are YOU planning on making?