When was the last time you did something for the first time?
Recently I bought a motorhome — something I’d never done before. The experience brought up simultaneous feelings of bravery and fear.
Fear about the practical unknowns: getting stuck under a low bridge, not being able to drive something so large, potentially hating the whole experience. But I grounded myself in the belief that uncertainty breeds fear — and the key to personal growth is experiencing something before forming opinions about it.
Courage and Fear Often Show Up Together
This mirrors a decision I made exactly a year ago to go skydiving — falling through the air at over 100 mph for 2,000 feet. I’d actually done this before back in 1999 when it was more freestyle (before modern health and safety protocols!).
Both experiences reminded me that courage isn’t the absence of fear — it’s moving forward despite it.
What made those moments possible was spending time with people who encourage brave decisions, who support being adventurous, and who normalise taking risks. The environment you choose matters when you’re trying new things.
Why Trying New Things Fuels Personal Growth
Doing something for the first time is inherently adventurous.
It means embracing uncertainty at a time when our minds crave facts and certainty. When we don’t have the facts, our brains create stories — usually worst-case scenarios.
But here’s the truth: you can always change course. You can make a new decision. You can stop. You are never as trapped as your fear suggests.
Growth happens when we gently challenge the edges of our comfort zone.
Powerful Questions to Ask Yourself
Reflect on Your Own “First”
When was the last time you did something for the first time?
If you were to embrace something new, what would it be?
How might that make you feel?
What would it take to feel scared, brave, and excited enough to say “feck it!” and just do the damn thing?
Trust Yourself More Than Your Fear
If something feels expansive rather than restrictive — even if it’s uncomfortable — that might be your sign.
Trust your feelings. If it feels like a good decision, try going with it.
Your next level of growth might just be waiting on the other side of “first.”
