We almost always think you have to feel brave first and then go for it. The truth is the other way around: first you go for it, and the bravery shows up afterward, like a reward.
If we wait until we feel 100% ready, we never do anything. Nobody feels ready.
What bravery really is
Bravery isn't having no fear. It's doing the thing scared and all. The girl who gets on stage with shaking legs is just as brave (or braver) than the one who feels nothing.
So if you like the idea but it embarrasses you, you're not doing anything wrong. You're right at the point where the good stuff starts.
The tiny-steps trick
You don't have to go from zero to hero in a day. Bravery is trained in little steps:
Start with something only slightly embarrassing. Raise your hand once. Say hi first. Things that make you nervous, but not terrified.
Use the 5-second rule. When you want to do something but fear starts inventing excuses, count down (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) and do it before you hit zero. Don't give your brain time to back out.
Count the attempts, not the results. Getting a no still counts as a win, because you went for it. The result isn't always up to you; trying is.
How cheap mistakes are right now
Here's something adults miss later: at our age, messing up costs almost nothing. No rent to pay, no boss to fire us. It's the best time in life to try things and fail without much happening. Wasting that would be a shame.
This is one of 5 things our future self will thank us for. See the others.
Catalina, in "Guía de Campo para Entender a los Humanos" by Mara Solís, is the kind who'd rather watch from a distance than go for it. Watching that change is one of the best parts of the book.
Take a look ↗