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Try New Things, As You Never Know What You Might Discover
“What do you expect from me in this position?”. I asked the leader on my first day of onboarding at my new company.
“I want you to be able to build your own website in the future and get a raise. That’s all.”
This conversation took place when I had just finished my old job and moved to a field almost completely different from what I had done before: SEO, or in other words, Google rank game.
Even though I took the new job opportunity with a lot of doubts inside, I wasn’t sure if this was the job I would like, and I wasn’t sure if a dreamer like me could be friends with numbers and data like daily traffic, sessions or users. But the reason for moving forward was simple: I was curious. I wanted to try something I didn’t know.
“In the future, you can build your own website,” to be honest, I wasn’t very interested when I heard this from the leader. I thought that just focusing on building and pushing performance for the company’s websites was enough. “If you want to build your own website, you must have the intention to do business”, I thought, “and I’m not interested in business, at least at this time”.
But when I got involved, the game started to change.
Difficult? More than enough. Challenges? Countless new opponents appear every day. Full of competition and frustrating moments, but I have to say, it’s more interesting than I thought.
Why? It’s the feeling: One day, after a lot of effort and hard work, your website will be ranked up, appearing in the top 3 in a spectacular way for a keyword search on Google. That’s so great (and I was freaking out!). But another day, you wake up and find that your website has been “sat on top” by many other competitors, and you’ve fallen to the bottom, even to the 2nd and 3rd page. Holy shit. Or suddenly, Google doesn’t like to index your articles even though you didn’t do anything wrong. Damn.
Rolling around in the emotions, I started to have a little more sympathy for this rank racing game. It was not a 180-degree change, but something seemed to have changed.
And guess what?
After six months of trying SEO, I wanted to create a website of my own.
Today, as you see, I have actually created and designed a website of my own.
The thing that led me here is nothing else
but curiosity.
Sometimes, plans and roadmaps you have laid out in advance don’t work out.
Sometimes, you must let curiosity lead you naturally, and then you will know how far you can go.
Try New Things, and You’ll Have More Than One Identity
I had a long career in voice recording and radio broadcasting, but even though things were going well, I eventually felt like I had reached the end of the road. I needed a change, so I decided to stop and pursue something different.
After working as a reporter and editor for several newspapers, I still valued journalism and the power of words to convey good things to the world. However, I eventually reached a point where I felt like I had had enough. I needed a change, so I decided to stop and pursue something different.
It’s like a garden. When you have carefully tended to it and harvested its fruits and flowers, you feel like you have received all you need. You want to pass on that garden to someone else to care for while searching for a new garden to cultivate a fresh fruit you have never tasted before. You want to experience different roles. Sometimes, you are a diligent gardener, a reckless hunter, a pragmatic merchant, and sometimes an artist with a fragile heart.
At specific points in life, we want to shed our old identity. We need a new identity, a new person, a new mind – to completely unlearn everything we know and learn everything again with the innocent mind of a child.
What Happens to Your Mental Well-being When You Try New Things?
Learning new things every day, month, or year can bring benefits not only to your career but also to your mental health. Here are some of the advantages of leaving your comfort zone:
It gives you the motivation to keep living
Life is not always easy. There are times when you are overwhelmed by difficulties that weaken you both physically and mentally. A new skill, a new subject, a new musical instrument, or a new hobby can give you the motivation you need to wake up and get out of bed. They can be a reminder of the richness and diversity of life, encouraging individuals, especially those facing depression or anxiety disorders, to keep moving forward and explore new sources of joy.
It helps you be present in the moment
Experiencing something new often requires you to be present in the moment. This high level of concentration can help you let go of past regrets or future worries and focus on the present. And you know what? Being present and staying focused is a crucial component of many treatments for depression.
It can boost your happiness
When you learn a new skill, your happiness level increases (I’ve tried it, and I can confirm it). According to behavioural therapist Andrea Kuszewski in Scientific American, several things happen in our brains when we learn something new: “When you seek out novelty, a number of things are happening. First, you’re creating new neural connections with every new activity you engage in. These connections support each other, increasing your neural activity, creating more connections to build on other connections – learning is happening”. New experiences trigger the release of dopamine, which motivates us, leading to neurogenesis or the creation of new neurons and new neural connections.
Of course, it’s not dopamine that makes you always excited, but trying new things can significantly impact your happiness level.
You embrace differences and appreciate the experiences of others
I suppose that people who are judgmental and prejudiced against those with opposing views are often the ones who only live in their own fixed circle and rarely explore new things in life.
When you learn a new language or travel to a new land, you open up opportunities to understand different cultures and people. You become more understanding of others’ journeys and learn to respect differences.
This is my story. In the past, I always felt frustrated when working with designers because they didn’t follow my brief. However, since I started studying graphic design four years ago, I realized how difficult this job is. It’s easy to design a piece of work you like, but to design something that pleases your colleagues, superiors, partners, and thousands of other “eyes” is… Sorry, but this game is too difficult. I totally give up. Just one sentence: I love and respect all designers!
You understand yourself better and have a clearer idea of what you dislike
Sometimes, we think we know ourselves well, but then we try new things and realize that we have unique likes and dislikes that we never knew before. As you try new things, you will naturally understand who you are and who you want to be.
It may sound funny, but when you try something new, you may not be sure if you really like it, but you will definitely know if you hate it. So dare to try. Try, and fail, and try again, and keep eliminating.
Every moment in your life becomes more memorable
Many people say that time flies faster as they get older. One reason for this is that their lives are much more stable than when they were young. The repetition of habits makes you less aware of time, and as a result, many years have passed before you realize it.
By regularly trying new things, for example, challenging yourself to try something new every day for 30 days, your time will be marked by exciting and interesting “first-time” moments. The memories in life just keep adding up. And you know, memories are what makeup life.
The Last Word
Since this is the “first article” on my (also first) website, I think trying new things is a suitable topic to start my journey back to writing. I hope my sharing gives you the courage to try things you’ve never done before and live differently.
As long as you are alive and capable, keep trying new things. Have a go. Whatever attracts you, try it if it’s not too dangerous. Otherwise, you’ll never know what you can reach and how far you can go.
☕Head to The Quieter for more insightful articles and inspiring stories on mindful living, personal growth and relationships to nurture your mind and soul.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean when you try something new?
Trying something new means going outside your comfort zone and engaging in activities you haven’t done before. There could be a touch of fear at the beginning, but this is your chance to develop and experience new things.
Is it better to try something new?
Absolutely. You might have no idea what is waiting for you, but maybe you will meet the hidden talents or passions which were asleep before. Additionally, it makes life colourful and gives you a chance to express yourself.
How do I try something new?
Make a list of things you have been longing to explore and can admire from a far place. The key here is not to overdo it – pick a small goal and start the process.
