Have you ever found yourself in a rut, lying in your bed, maybe doomscrolling and procrastinating while you have a million things on your perfectly crafted, detailed to-do list
that you expect to get done by the end of the day?

Procrastination is a fancy term used to label the act of delaying and postponing tasks, or, as others put it, simply and ignorantly being lazy and unproductive. However, have you thought about why you might be doing it? Is it perhaps because you are indeed lazy, or you are not very fond of the tasks that you have to get done, or simply because doing other activities seems much more appealing?

All this can be true to some extent, but believe it or not, one major reason you may be putting things off is out of fear. Fear of stepping outside your comfort zone, fear of not
accomplishing the goals you set out for yourself, fear of reality not being correspondent to your expectations, fear of disappointing those around you, fear of failure, and most
importantly, the fear of realizing you are not cut out for something or that a thing you had envisioned for so long, and desperately put all your efforts into, isn’t what you want anymore.

You have probably heard the generic affirmations that you shouldn’t let fear stop you from achieving your goals, but that is clearly easier said than done, so let’s try to tackle that fear and initial discomfort differently with three easy steps:

1) We can start by putting that overthinking habit of yours to good use, by thinking of every scenario that can come out of you, starting something, or getting a simple task
done. Let’s envision every single one of them with as much detail as possible, from the most predictable one to the most unrealistic one.

2) After that, try carefully analyzing each scenario. You can even rate them from the most daunting one to the most harmless one.

3) Having done that, let’s place yourself in every single one of these scenarios and, without giving it much thought, think about what your first reaction would be, and how
you would go about the situation. It is very important that you trust your instincts and manage to stay calm and true to yourself. During most of the scenarios, you will
come to realise you may not be in charge of how things initially play out, but you certainly have a say in how they develop and how they affect you and your life.

This exercise reminds you that you are capable of handling whatever unfolds, whether it turns out well or not. While it’s likely that reality won’t perfectly match any scenario
you imagined, you can still adapt. Just as you did with the situations you envisioned, you can rely on your instincts and stay true to your values and principles.

This idea became real to me when I wanted to apply for this summer program earlier this year. The deadline was January 10th, and I had been putting it off for so long, mostly out of fear of rejection. January 10th came around, and I sat by myself thinking of the different ways sending in my application could play out. There was the possibility of getting accepted with enough financial aid to attend, and that was the most desirable outcome. I could also be accepted, but without sufficient financial support. The third scenario would entail me being waitlisted and desperately hoping someone would turn down the program. The final one would be me getting flat-out rejected, and that scenario instilled the most fear. After reflecting and carefully reviewing each outcome, I realised one thing was true: no matter what happened, I would be fine.

If I were to be rejected, I would simply try applying again on a different occasion, and in the meantime, I would seek areas for improvement. In the case of insufficient financial aid, I would find ways to fundraise or appeal to the program. I quickly realised not one of these scenarios would leave me stuck.

In the end, I got accepted into the program with an 80% scholarship, and it was a transformative experience. Nevertheless, I know if things had gone differently, I would have
been okay. That realization changed the way I approach new opportunities and the discomfort that often comes with them.

When we begin something unfamiliar, that initial discomfort can feel overwhelming and may even tempt us to quit. Instead of resisting it, I want to challenge you to embrace it. Approach it with an open mind and a positive attitude, and give yourself the time to truly sit with the discomfort. If, after doing so, you realize that something genuinely isn’t for you, allow yourself to let it go.

May this serve as a reminder to not be afraid of applying to that role, going on that date, starting a new hobby, ending a relationship, or beginning one, because you have the tools
within you to adapt and face whatever comes your way.