*I have been compensated for this post, but any opinions are my own.


I'm sure I've mentioned it on here before, but I had a really terrible bicycle wreck when I was nine and it really scarred me. I had just been diagnosed with diabetes and was under the impression that if I were to get injured, I wouldn't heal and thus would just... die. I ended up in the emergency room with a broken tooth and three others that were chipped, a busted chin, a scraped up shoulder, wrist, and knee. I was missing skin on much of my face. It honestly haunts me to this day. I bought a bike when I was in my early 20s and tried to ride it a time or two, but became so afraid and overwhelmed, that I couldn't really ride it. It's sat at my parents' house since. But hubby recently purchased a bike and really encouraged me to try riding again. So we stopped by my parents' and brought home my old, rusty bike. Because of hubby's encouragement, I've been riding my bike for a couple of minutes everyday, literally only through the flat parts of our neighborhood. But I'm riding nonetheless, and I've yet to fall over.

So it got me thinking, how do we accomplish the things that we set our minds to, even when they scare us, even terrify us. Below are a few things that came to mind when considering accomplishing those things.



Figure Out What's Holding You Back

I think one of the first things to do when wanting to accomplish something that scares you is figure out if it's really something you want to do, why you want to do it, and determine why you haven't done it yet, what's holding you back. For me, I want to ride my bike. I want to be able to get in that exercise and feel the wind blow through my hair as I ride. I had tried to do it in the past but couldn't find balance, either mentally or physically. And it was fear holding me back. Fear is still holding me back, but I'm trying to overcome it, just a little bit at a time.



Practice

They say practice makes perfect, and while I don't wholly believe in perfection, I do agree to some extent. Practicing help to make a process better. So by practicing something over and over, just a little bit at a time, it can add up to being good, even great, at something that you were previously too afraid to even do. By practicing, the fear may dissipate.



Make It A Habit

It's common knowledge that if you do something daily for 21 days, it becomes a habit. Now I don't know how true that really is, but it does make something easier to do more regularly. Just like practicing, by doing something until it becomes a habit it can become something enjoyable, thus less terrifying.



Find An Accountability Buddy

This has always been something that's been difficult for me, especially in the time of corona. But since hubby has a bike and encouraged me to ride again, he's quite a good accountability buddy. Often, when he rides, I'll ride (thought not as far or as long). But it does make me get up on my butt and get moving.



Get Extra Help

Sometimes it's not so easy to do the things that scare you. Sure, a lot of the time those things can help you grow, but sometimes it's just too much to bear. And if that's the case, some extra help certainly doesn't hurt. Whether it's talking to a therapist or considering pure hypnosis, asking for help is never a bad thing. In fact, I always encourage folks to ask for help when they need it, whether it's wanting to lose weight or wanting to clear your mind, there are always ways others can help you.



For example, hypnosis for weight loss in Atlanta is an option to change habits if you're wanting to lose weight, or working with a psychiatrist to find a medication to work for you if anxiety or depression is preventing you from accomplishing goals. Getting help is definitely nothing to be ashamed of and can usually benefit individuals more than harm them.