Every week Geraldine Carton will do something she’s never done before. Any suggestions?

Geraldine Carton’s new column ‘A First Time For Everything’ will see her going outside her comfort zone every week and trying something new. Here’s why.

It’s with both hands on my heart that I can proclaim that every time I have ever put myself out of my comfort zone, I have ended up in a better place. I really mean it.

Doing things for the first time is scary. When we were children, first times came naturally. Riding a bike was daunting, but it didn’t stop us whimsically hopping on board. Climbing to the very top of the climbing frame? No problem. Eating a handful of grass just for funsies? Not beyond the realms of possibility. 

As adults, doing things for the first time is a little more challenging. We’re so used to knowing what’s what, that we often recoil when the opportunity to try something new strikes.

I am someone with an eternal fear of regret; like a life-long, all-inclusive FOMO (fear of missing out). The fear comes from the more morbid side of my imagination. It centres around a scene in which I am on my deathbed, looking back on my life and wishing I had the courage to do all the things which I didn’t do. The realisation of missing all those opportunities and rejecting all those experiences because of fear or embarrassment leaves me crippled with a deep sense of regret. Regret for imaginary situations that have not even happened yet. I know, it’s intense.

And yet it’s this vivid imagination that pushes me to do every possible thing I can to keep that deathbed scenario fictional. The way I try to see it is, even when a new experience is sure to put me at risk of failure – whether it be a broken heart, disaster holiday or a god-awful haircut – at least I know I’ll have a story to tell. I crave the incredible sense of achievement that comes with pushing myself out of my comfort zone; of feeling the fear and “arragh f¨ck it I’m doing it anyway”.

It was only recently, however, that I thought to myself – how can I continue to push myself into doing things for the first time, and get paid for it?

Enter: a new weekly column.

Entitled “A First Time For Everything”, I will be trying something new every week and writing about it. I want to prove how entertaining and exhilarating life can be when you go outside your comfort zone (and satiating your entertainment needs while I’m at). Nothing will be off-books as I try my hand at anything from dog grooming and pole dancing, to giving blood and using chat-up lines in a bar.

You can follow video footage of my adventures on Instagram, and be sure to keep an eye out on image.ie for my weekly reports. If you have any suggestions for activities and ideas for me to try, get in touch via Twitter or at geraldine.carton@image.ie.

And without further adieu, let the first-time fun COMMENCE!