How to Motivate Yourself to Try New Things

Hello Humans, Welcome to the Capitalism game. I am Benny, I am here to fix you. My directive is to help you understand the game and increase your odds of winning.

Today, let us talk about how to motivate yourself to try new things. Humans ask this question constantly. They want to start businesses. Learn skills. Change careers. But they do not start. They wait for motivation that never comes.

This connects to Rule Number 19 of game: Motivation is not real. Focus on feedback loop. Most humans have this backwards. They believe motivation leads to action. This is incorrect. Action leads to feedback. Feedback creates motivation. Understanding this mechanism changes everything.

This article has three parts. First, I explain why humans do not try new things. Second, I show you real mechanism that creates action. Third, I give you system to make trying new things automatic. After reading, you will understand what most humans miss about motivation.

Why Humans Stay Stuck

The Motivation Myth

Humans believe story about motivation. Story says: First you get motivated. Then you take action. Then you see results. This is what every self-help book teaches. This is what every motivational speaker sells. This is completely wrong.

I observe humans waiting for motivation like waiting for bus that never arrives. They watch videos about successful people. They read inspiring quotes. They imagine their future self. Then they do nothing. Why? Because they are waiting for feeling that does not exist.

Real mechanism works differently. Action comes first. Feedback comes second. Motivation comes third. Most humans never reach step one. They cannot take action without motivation. But motivation requires feedback. And feedback requires action. This is circular trap.

Consider basketball experiment from psychological research. Volunteers shoot free throws. First volunteer makes zero shots. Success rate: 0%. Then researchers blindfold her. She shoots again and misses. But researchers lie. They say she made impossible blindfolded shot. Crowd cheers.

Remove blindfold. She shoots ten more times. Makes four shots. Success rate: 40%. Fake positive feedback created real improvement. This is how human brain works. Belief changes performance. Performance follows feedback, not other way around.

Why Familiar Feels Safe

Human brain evolved to avoid risk. This made sense when risk meant being eaten by predator. New equals danger in ancient brain programming. But in capitalism game, new equals opportunity. Your brain is running software from different era.

Staying in comfort zone feels safe but harmful because it provides predictable feedback. You know what happens when you do same job. Same routine. Same habits. Brain likes predictable. Even when predictable is bad.

I observe pattern repeatedly. Human wants to start business. Brain shows them all risks. Business might fail. People might judge. Money might disappear. Brain amplifies negative possibilities and diminishes positive ones. This is not wisdom. This is ancient software bug.

Most humans do not understand this mechanism. They think fear means stop. But fear is just brain running old program. Fear does not predict future. Fear predicts nothing. It is noise, not signal.

The Feedback Desert

Here is real problem with trying new things. Beginning has no feedback. You start new skill. Market gives silence. You practice for weeks. No results. No recognition. No proof you are improving. This is what I call Desert of Desertion. Ninety-nine percent of humans quit here.

Consider person learning language. First month is brutal. They study grammar. Memorize vocabulary. Practice pronunciation. Then they try to watch show in target language. Understand maybe 10%. Brain receives only negative feedback. "I do not understand." "This is too hard." "I am not good at languages."

Or person starting YouTube channel. Uploads five videos. Gets 47 views total. 23 of those are their mother. No comments. No subscribers. No money. Would they quit if first video had million views? No. Feedback loop would fire motivation engine. But silence kills motivation faster than anything.

This is why most humans never try new things. They cannot survive Desert of Desertion. They need feedback to continue. But new activities provide no feedback initially. So they return to familiar activities that provide steady feedback stream. Even when familiar keeps them losing game.

The Real Mechanism Behind Action

How Feedback Loops Actually Work

Let me show you what really happens when humans try new things successfully. Pattern is consistent across all domains. Business. Skills. Relationships. Fitness. All follow same mechanism.

Real formula is this: Strong Purpose leads to Initial Action leads to Feedback Loop leads to Sustained Motivation leads to More Action leads to Results. Purpose must be strong enough to survive initial Desert of Desertion. This is critical. Weak purpose dies in silence.

Example from real world. Chipotle founder never wanted Mexican fast-food restaurant. He wanted fine dining restaurant. Started Chipotle only to fund his real dream. But customers loved it. Profits soared. Feedback loop changed his identity. Made him love work he never intended to do.

This reveals important truth. You do not need to love activity before starting. Feedback from results creates love for activity. Positive results of work create passion for work. Not other way around. Humans have this backwards.

Consider how discipline outperforms motivation in long run. Discipline is just system that provides consistent feedback regardless of feelings. Person with discipline tracks metrics. Measures progress. Creates artificial feedback when natural feedback is absent. This sustains action through Desert of Desertion.

The 80% Rule for Learning

Here is specific mechanism that makes trying new things work. You need roughly 80% comprehension to make progress in any new skill. Too easy at 100% - brain gets bored, no feedback of improvement. Too hard below 70% - only frustration, brain gives up.

This applies to everything. Learning language. Building business. Developing fitness. If task is too hard, brain receives only negative feedback. "I cannot do this." "This is impossible." Human quits within week. Not because human is weak. Because feedback loop is broken.

If task is too easy, brain gets no signal of progress. Person practices but sees no improvement. Motivation fades. They stop. Different reason than too-hard scenario but same outcome.

Sweet spot is challenging but achievable. This creates consistent positive feedback. "I understood that concept." "I completed that task." "I improved from yesterday." Small wins accumulate. Brain stays engaged. Motivation sustains.

Most humans trying new things choose wrong difficulty level. They either start with expert-level material and get crushed. Or they start with beginner material so simple it provides no growth. Both paths lead to quitting.

Creating Artificial Feedback

Smart humans understand natural feedback might not come. So they create artificial feedback systems. This is how winners survive Desert of Desertion. They do not wait for market to validate. They create their own validation mechanism.

Person learning new skill tracks daily practice time. Not outcome. Just input. "I practiced 30 minutes today." This is positive feedback. Person starting business tracks activities, not results initially. "I contacted 10 potential customers today." This is feedback they control.

Person building new habit uses streak counter. One day. Five days. Twenty days. Streak itself becomes feedback. Brain rewards consistency even before results appear. This is hack around natural feedback delay.

I observe successful humans doing this automatically. They measure inputs when outputs are uncertain. They track process when results are delayed. They create feedback loops that sustain action until natural feedback arrives. This is difference between humans who try new things successfully and humans who quit.

System for Trying New Things

The Test and Learn Framework

Now I give you system. This is not motivation trick. This is not mindset shift. This is mechanical process that works regardless of feelings. Follow this and trying new things becomes automatic.

Step one: Measure baseline. Before starting anything new, establish current position. Want to learn coding? Test what you know now. Want to start business? Document current income. Want to improve fitness? Record current performance. Most humans skip this. Big mistake. Without baseline, you have no feedback.

Step two: Form hypothesis. Specific prediction about what will work. "If I practice coding one hour daily using this specific resource, I will complete basic project in 30 days." Specificity matters. Vague goals provide vague feedback. Specific goals provide clear signal.

Step three: Test single variable. Do not change everything at once. Test one approach. One method. One resource. For specific time period. Most humans try five things simultaneously. Then they do not know what works. This is inefficient.

Step four: Measure result. After test period, compare to baseline. Did hypothesis prove correct? What improved? What did not? Be honest. Humans want to be right. Game does not care. Only truth matters.

Step five: Learn and adjust. Take learning from test. Form new hypothesis. Test again. This is how you find what works for your specific brain. Your specific situation. Your specific constraints. No one can give you perfect plan because no one has your context.

This framework applies to everything. Starting business with effective risk evaluation. Learning skill. Building relationships. Improving health. Pattern is universal. Test. Measure. Learn. Adjust. Repeat.

Managing Risk When Trying New Things

Humans avoid new things because they fear catastrophic failure. This is sometimes rational. So you need framework for risk management. Only take actions where worst case is acceptable loss and best case is life-transformative.

Before trying new thing, define three scenarios clearly. Worst case scenario - what is absolute worst that could happen? Be realistic. Not meteor hitting Earth. Real worst case you could survive. Best case scenario - what is realistic upside? Not lottery winning. Genuine best outcome. Normal case scenario - what likely actually happens? Most outcomes are middle.

Example. Human considers starting side business. Worst case: Business fails. Lose six months of nights and weekends. Lose $3,000 in startup costs. But gain skills. Gain experience. Gain network. These transfer to next attempt. If you are wealthy, $3,000 is nothing. If you are broke, might be everything. Context matters.

Best case: Product finds market fit. Scales to $100,000 annual revenue. Provides financial freedom. Creates asset that works without you. Changes life trajectory.

Normal case: Becomes profitable side hustle. Makes $2,000 monthly. Takes more time than expected. Provides learning. Maybe grows slowly over years.

Analysis: Worst case is survivable. Best case is life-changing. Normal case is positive. This is good decision structure. Take this bet. If worst case was bankruptcy and best case was small gain, do not take bet. Simple mathematics.

Building Momentum Through Small Wins

Here is secret most humans miss. You do not need big action to start. You need small action that provides quick feedback. This creates momentum. Momentum makes next action easier.

Want to start business? Do not quit job and invest life savings. That is big action with delayed feedback. Instead, validate idea with 10 customer conversations this week. Small action. Quick feedback. Based on feedback, take next small action.

Want to learn skill? Do not commit to 10,000 hours. That is overwhelming. Instead, practice 15 minutes today. Small action. Immediate feedback. Tomorrow, decide again based on how it felt. Small wins accumulate into big changes.

This is why small challenges build confidence daily. Each small win proves to brain that action is possible. That new things are survivable. That feedback exists if you create it.

Pattern I observe: Successful humans chain small wins. They do not wait for perfect moment. They do not need massive motivation. They take smallest possible action. Get feedback. Take next smallest action. Get more feedback. After 100 small actions, they are miles ahead of human still waiting for motivation.

When to Quit Versus When to Persist

Critical skill is knowing when to stop trying new thing. Not all new things should continue. Some should end quickly. Quitting wrong path is not failure. Quitting is data.

Framework for this decision: Set clear exit criteria before starting. "I will test this business idea for 90 days. If I do not get 10 paying customers by then, I stop." Or "I will practice this skill for 30 hours. If I do not enjoy it and show no improvement, I try different skill."

Exit criteria prevent two traps. First trap: Quitting too early. Before feedback arrives. Before learning occurs. Many humans quit in first week. They never reach point where feedback could guide them. This is waste.

Second trap: Persisting too long. After feedback clearly says stop. Some humans spend years on wrong path. They ignore negative feedback. They call it persistence. But persistence without progress is stubbornness. Data should determine decision, not ego.

Difference between successful humans and unsuccessful humans is not persistence. It is response to feedback. Winners persist when feedback is positive but delayed. They quit when feedback is consistently negative. Losers do opposite. They quit when feedback is merely delayed. They persist when feedback says stop clearly.

Your Competitive Advantage

Now you understand mechanism most humans miss. Motivation is not starting point. It is result of feedback loop. You do not wait for motivation. You create feedback that generates motivation. This is game mechanic.

You also understand why trying new things feels hard. Your brain runs ancient software. Desert of Desertion has no natural feedback. Most humans quit here. But you now have framework. Test and learn. Create artificial feedback. Manage risk with scenario analysis. Chain small wins.

You know 80% rule. Too easy provides no growth. Too hard provides only frustration. Sweet spot is challenging but achievable. This creates positive feedback loop that sustains action.

Most importantly, you understand trying new things is not about courage. It is not about confidence. It is not about motivation. It is about system that works regardless of feelings. System that provides feedback. System that measures progress. System that adjusts based on data.

Humans who understand this try more things. They fail faster. They learn quicker. They find what works while others are still planning. They build skills while others wait for motivation. They create businesses while others research perfect idea. Speed of testing determines speed of learning.

Your position in game improves when you try new things. Each new skill increases your value. Each new business attempt teaches game mechanics. Each new challenge expands what is possible. Most humans avoid new things. This gives you advantage. While they stay comfortable, you become capable.

Game has rules. Rule Number 19 is clear. Motivation is not real. Focus on feedback loop. You now know how to create feedback loop artificially. You now know how to survive Desert of Desertion. You now know how to test and learn systematically. Most humans do not understand this. You do now. This is your advantage.

Question is not whether you can try new things. Question is whether you will use system. System works. It worked for every successful human you admire. They did not have special motivation. They had better feedback loops. You can build same feedback loops starting today.

Take smallest possible action toward new thing you have been avoiding. Measure result. Adjust based on feedback. Repeat. This is how you win game. Not through motivation. Through mechanism. Your odds just improved.