Small Steps, Big Growth: Why Trying New Things Matters

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We’re eating lunch at a café in southern Spain, waiting for the server to take my order. Before he even arrives, I’m having an internal stand-off: do I ask if he speaks English or attempt to order in Spanish?

I quietly open my translation app and practice the sentence to see just how questionable my pronunciation is. I mean, what’s worse – mangling someone’s language or not trying at all?

I’ve heard locals appreciate the effort… but what if I sound like a complete fool?

The server steps up to the table, and I decide to go for it instead of shoving my phone at him with the translated text. I read my little rehearsed line, and a big smile spreads across his face.

“Sí, muy bien,” he says with a wink before walking away.

And there it is: that mix of proud and slightly embarrassed that shows up every time you stretch yourself just past your comfort zone. Awkward? A bit. Worth it? Absolutely.

Because ordering lunch isn’t just ordering lunch. It’s a tiny version of the same choice we face all the time: stay comfortable and predictable… or try the thing that feels a little shaky and hope you don’t trip over your own metaphorical shoelaces.

Learning a language, pitching an idea, signing up for the class, raising your hand, putting your work out there – it’s all the same muscle. Every small attempt is a rep. Every rep builds confidence. Every bit of confidence expands what you’re capable of.

That proud-and-silly feeling? That’s growth. That’s your comfort zone stretching, even if it’s just by an inch.

If you don’t try, you don’t learn.

If you don’t stretch, you don’t grow.

And the more you’re willing to step into these tiny moments of “here goes nothing,” the bigger and braver your life becomes.

So go ahead. Order the lunch. Try the thing.

Your future self is already nodding at you like that server and saying, “Muy bien.”

P.S. If you’re craving a life that feels bigger, braver, and more you, my Design Your Dream Life course walks you through it step by step. You can read all about it here: https://kerririchardson.com/design-your-dream-life/