Hello there,

Fear and the comfort zone!

I returned from my first ever skiing trip last weekend and must say I was impressed by how hard it was although I think I was making it harder than it had to be by being so nervous and scared of falling over!

I took a chair lift up to the top of my first ever green slope and looked down and thought there is no way I am skiing down that, I was terrified! So I sidestepped down it most of the way!

After a day on the green slopes and numerous falls without damage to self  (my whole body ached!)  I finally found the nursery slope on the second day, thank god and stayed on it for the whole day practising turning and stopping as that was my downfall on day one, hence falling over to stop! I am pretty impatient with myself and expect to succeed so this was a shock that I wasn’t naturally skiing down a black run by the end of the first day! I am not a giver upper and will persevere till I get it and after a day on the nursery slope I felt much more confident as I managed to stay on both feet the whole day!

I was back on the green slopes on the third day and pretty much stayed upright most of the time. I then started to relax and enjoy it!

I think fear has a lot to answer for and something that needs to be overcome because the proof is there, as soon as I started to relax and enjoy it I got better at it.

I thinks fear increases with age, certainly for me and the industry I am in,as I knew I could not afford to break a bone and be out of work for any length of time, as I am self employed and have no staff! If I had been 30 years younger I think I would have found it easier purely because I would not have had the fear that I have now.

However saying that, I am really pleased I tried it and will definitely be going back because I want to get better at it and go faster! I think I was frustrated at the beginning as I didn’t have any lessons (foolish, I know!) and it didn’t just happen for me! I have come to the conclusion that I have stayed in my comfort zone too much lately and this certainly took me out of it because everything I do I am good at and capable of doing and this challenged that which can only be a good thing.

So note to self and others, step out of your comfort zone more often and fight the fear!