How to Prepare for the First Time at Anything

Forget what others think

In order to decrease the stress you feel about your first time, just forget what others are thinking of you.

First, many people don't really care that much if you happen to fail at something. If you are open about your inexperience, they are most likely to forgive your inability to perform well.

Second, remember that others have also started from "zero" as well (driving a car, giving a public speech, going out for a date, etc.).

Third, focus on your own performance — not on others. For instance, if you're going to be running in your first marathon ever your goal is just to pass the finish line, not to run a new world record.

Ditch the perfection

On very rare occasions can you manage to do something perfectly the first time you do it, so when you do something for the first time, it is time to ditch the notion of perfection.

I remember the first time I drove a car in traffic after getting my driver's license. I was very nervous and I was overwhelmed by the traffic — my driving style showed that I wasn't a very confident driver. Now I'm much more experienced as a driver. Although I still don't consider myself a perfect one, I'm much more confident behind the wheel than what I was when I started.

In general, it is useless to strive for perfection when you do something for the first time. You are setting the bar too high and you just feel bad when you are not able to meet the level you have set.

Also, perfection is just another way to procrastinate（耽搁，延迟）, so trying to be perfect is just a waste of time. You want to pursue excellence instead.

The time you spend doesn't matter

One common characteristic of doing something for the first time is that it is most likely to be more time-consuming than subsequent times. If you are inexperienced, the first few times you are just going to be learning anyway — and hopefully getting better in the process.

Just take your time and try to learn as much as possible as you go. You will realize that the second time is much easier, since you already have some experience in your pocket.

Plan and prepare

If possible, try to plan and prepare as much as possible before doing something new. This way you will gain more self-confidence, and by planning and preparing you actually may have a bit more control of things.

But you don't always have that sense of control. For instance, if you are going out on a first date, you cannot plan every possible topic to talk about in advance — nor is it reasonable to do that.

On the other hand, if you are going to take a certification test related to your profession, you can study and prepare so that you can reach a whole different level when you take the exam.

Prepare for the second time

Once you have gone through your "first time experience", you'll have broken the biggest barrier of all. The excitement and fear is most likely gone and the next time won't be that scary anymore.

To make the next time even a smoother experience, do these two things during your first time:

Take notes. It never hurts to write things down as you go. These notes can help you to feel more confident and you can go them through when preparing for the second time

Run through a checklist. Create a checklist, so that you can prepare even better for the next time. For example, to prepare yourself to give a presentation, write down a checklist to go through before the actual event. This way you can make sure that all the necessary requirements are met before the presentation begins.

Conclusion

You'll never be fully prepared for the first time at everything, but if you use the tips above the next time you face something new you'll have a much better chance to enjoy the experience. And then you'll want to do it again.

相关单词：perfectly

perfectly解释：adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

perfectly例句：

The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。

Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

相关单词：license

license解释：n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

license例句：

The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。

The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

相关单词：excellence

excellence解释：n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德

excellence例句：

His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。

My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。

相关单词：fully

fully解释：adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

fully例句：

The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。

They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。