I’ve never done this before are words we utter far too often. We feed ourselves the lie that we can’t accomplish something because we’ve never attempted it before.
We put dreams on hold. We stop challenging ourselves. We begin living complacent lives.
All because of 5 words we’ve given power over our lives.
The Lie
When we begin telling ourselves we’ve never done something before, it begins to limit our potential. The lie tells us we’re inexperienced. Not needed. Or it’s too dangerous for us.
Instead of using I’ve never done this before as a reason to experience new adventures in life, we use it as a crutch to avoid the attempt. And possibility of failure.
It’s really an excuse to cover our fears.
“Men go to far greater lengths to avoid what they fear than to obtain what they desire.”
— Dan Brown
The lie allows us to continue living complacent lives instead of dreaming big and doing good.
Listening to it is like stopping at green lights.
Overcoming The Lie
Giving into this excuse is a barrier leaders must overcome. As a leader, you’re called to experience new challenges, to go into the unknown, and to face life head on.
I’ve used this excuse before. Especially when it comes to photo editing. It’s not something I like doing and it’s something I haven’t hadn’t done before.
That was until one day a co-worker’s wife approached me when she needed help with their son’s senior picture. The picture was great except his eyes weren’t in the right position. She asked me to correct the picture.
I was hesitant as I’d never done that before. Instead of letting it hold me back, I hopped in and tackled the project using Gimp, a Photoshop alternative.
I overcame the lie by doing the thing I’ve never done before. It taught me I can still learn new skills.
And you can too.
“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
— Eleanor Roosevelt
To overcome the I’ve never done this before syndrome, you’ve got to get out there and do the task. Then the excuse loses all power. You’ve done it before and you can do it again.
What is it you need to do to be a better leader? Is it
- improving your physical fitness?
- improving your leadership abilities?
- improving your communication skills?
- improving your relationships?
Whatever it is, I encourage you to take the first steps today. Head towards the thing you’ve never done before. Tell yourself you’re going to do it. Then do it.
Take the power away from those 5 words. Before you know it you’ll be doing things you’ve never done before.
Question: What have you never done before that you need to do? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below. And then get out there and do what you’ve never done before.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.