# why are we afraid to start something new?
starting something new almost always feels harder than just continuing what we’re already doing — even when the new thing seems more exciting, meaningful, or aligned with where we want to go.
but the hard part usually isn't the technical stuff. it’s the uncertainty.
new projects come with a lot of unknowns. what if it doesn't work? what if it's worse than we hoped? what if we waste our time? that uncertainty makes us uncomfortable - not in a loud or obvious way, but in a quiet, low-level way that’s easy to ignore. so we hesitate. we tweak the idea. we wait for the "right" moment. and we end up doing nothing.
psychologists call this status quo bias - our built-in tendency to stick with what we already know, even when the alternative might be better. there’s also something called intolerance of uncertainty, which makes us avoid things we can’t fully predict or control. together, they create this invisible resistance at the start of anything new.
it doesn't feel like fear. It feels like delay, or distraction, or just not the right time. but in most cases, that’s the friction of crossing into unfamiliar territory. most of the time, it just feels hard because it’s new… and the only way to get through that is to start. anyway.
# references
Samuelson, W. & Zeckhauser, R. (1988). Status quo bias in decision making. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, 1(1), 7–59. DOI: 10.1007/BF00055564 (opens new window)
Carleton, R. N. (2016). Fear of the unknown: One fear to rule them all? Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 41, 5–21. DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.03.011 (opens new window)