Why Your New Year’s Resolution Should Be to Try Something New That Scares You

Faith Brar

Photo: Instagram / jacquelineadan44

Jacqueline Adan's incredibly impressive 350-pound weight-loss journey has inspired thousands of people over the last several years. Along the way, Adan has opened up about how every person's road back to health is different and how losing weight won't magically make you happy. And now, she's here to remind everyone about the importance of conquering your fears head-on.

Recently, she took to Instagram to share something that's helped her get this far in her journey: pushing herself out of her comfort zone. To elaborate, she shared a video of herself boxing, saying, "My gym offers a boxing class and it took me forever to try it out. Now...better watch out." (Related: Why Jen Widerstrom Thinks You Should Say Yes to Something You'd Never Do)

Sometimes you have to fight for what you want. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone and know that you are strong. You can do it. You will make it through. Working out should not be punishment for you or your body. It should not because you hate yourself and want to punish it for how it looks or what you ate. Workouts out should be a time for you. To focus on you. To become stronger then you ever thought imaginable. So step outside of your comfort zone and try something new and exciting. Try something that scares you. My gym offers a boxing class and it took me forever to try it out! Now... better watch out 🤣 I get asked all of the time, “When and how do I start if I want to begin working out?” Best advice is to just start! Start right where you are. Do what you can. Do the best you can right now! Find something you love and never give up! Everyday you will get stronger. Everyday your body will be able to do new things you never thought you could do. Everyday you keep loving yourself, pushing yourself and doing what best for you...that’s when the strength inside of you grows and your inner confidence will shine through. It’s never about what you can’t do, it’s always about what you can do!!! So get out there, kick some butt and know that you are so much stronger then you think you are!!! #getstronger #boxingtraining #juststart #getstarted #lovemybody #ilovemyself #nevergivein #fightforit #fightforyourlife #pushyourlimits @basecampburlingame @teamjrich

A post shared by Jacqueline's Journey (@jacquelineadan44) on Dec 19, 2018 at 3:00pm PST

"I get asked all of the time, 'When and how do I start if I want to begin working out?'" she continued. "My best advice is to just start. Start right where you are. Do what you can. Find something you love and never give up." (Find out what happened when Shape editors swapped workouts for a month.)

Adan couldn't be more right. There are serious benefits to tackling something totally new and scary—whether it's a new workout you've always wanted to try or heading to the gym for the first time in months or years. For starters, there are so many mind-body benefits of trying something new. Plus, the more new things you try to conquer, the more capable, confident, and badass you'll feel. And who doesn't want to feel like a badass?

If you rise to the challenge, "every day you will get stronger," says Adan. "Every day your body will be able to do new things you never thought you could do. Every day you keep loving yourself, pushing yourself and doing what best for you...that's when the strength inside of you grows and your inner confidence will shine through."

So as you head into the New Year thinking about your goals and resolutions, remember this: "It's never about what you can't do, it's always about what you can do," writes Adan. "So get out there, kick some butt and know that you are so much stronger than you think you are."

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