***How to Feel The Fear About Moving Forward In Your Business And Doing It Anyway

I can’t begin to count how many times I’ve felt discouraged or fearful as I’ve built my business over the past seven years. When I first became certified as a business coach I remember thinking to myself, “Who am I to be telling self-employed professionals and solo entrepreneurs how to build their businesses and live their lives when I’m brand new and just starting out!” This was a constant fear that kept coming up for me time and time again during my first year in business. But I continued to persevere in spite of it all. Years later I found myself reading through old journal entries where I described my doubts and fears. I had completely forgotten that I had experienced so much anxiety during that initial year. Over time I had become confident in this particular aspect of my business. But then my old fear was soon replaced with a new fear of, “Who am I to create really great income – above and beyond having enough money to pay the monthly bills?” This was a particularly huge struggle for me. I had a breakthrough when I realized that I held the belief that other people were capable of making great money, but not me. I realized that this simply wasn’t true. It was just a belief that I held – not actual reality. I began to wonder what it would look and feel like to make great money. This led me to seek outstanding mentors and experts who supported me in radically shifting my beliefs and revamping my business so that I was able to create many radical financial breakthroughs while making an even greater difference for my clients. There have been many times when I’ve come face to face with fear and doubt in my personal life as well. I remember when I bought a house over ten years ago when the market was ridiculously hot and houses seemed to be selling literally overnight. I didn’t think there was anyway I could afford to buy one at the time - especially as a single woman. But I knew that I wanted to, and so I moved forward in spite of my fear. It was amazing the miracles that seemed to unfold before my very eyes. I remember feeling incredibly anxious about writing a check for such a huge sum of money for the down payment. I was afraid that I was making the worst mistake in my life. However, every time I checked in with my gut, I knew I had to move forward - even though the very idea scared me. The end result was that I bought my first home – and it was perfect. It seems like each time I’m pulled to accomplish some new goal in my business or personal life that it is almost always accompanied by a surging swell of fears and doubts. I’ve come to realize is that it’s okay for me to be afraid. And in fact, I’m supposed to feel afraid! In the past I would avoid taking action until I felt certain that I was prepared enough or ready enough – until I was guaranteed to achieve my desired result. When I’ve done this – the perfect time never arrived. I never felt completely ready to step out and take action. It’s easy for me to doubt myself when I make a commitment towards achieving a new goal. Not only that but as soon as I take action towards it I find myself coming face to face with all kinds of obstacles and challenges, and inevitably I end up making all kinds mistakes. When this happens it’s easy to think that I’ve taken the wrong path. It’s easy to interpret the challenges and obstacles that arise as an indicator that I made a huge mistake. I now realize that the challenges and obstacles are supposed to happen. And I’m supposed to move in the direction of my dreams – IN SPITE OF MY FEAR. When I fully commit to taking this approach is precisely when “miracles” seem to unfold in my business and life. I’m reminded of a quote from Mike Dooley’s book, Manifesting Change: “Our challenges give our lives meaning: they help us rise to another level of enlightenment and understanding. Therefore, if you think you’ve figured out which path you’d like to go down in life (because it resonates in your heart) but suddenly see a lion, tiger or bear standing before you one day, this doesn’t mean it’s the wrong path! Actually it should probably confirm that it’s the right one! You pick something you want to do, and then you quickly realize that obtaining it is going to require you to be more than you’ve ever been before. Awesome! Keep going!” There’s a saying that “insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting a different result.” The only kind of result that I can create in my life by choosing to stay small is the same kinds of results that I’ve always created – going nowhere new. In order to create an entirely new outcome I have to be willing to “feel the fear and do it anyway” – because the fear will never go away. Vincent Van Gogh summed it up so beautifully when he said, “If you hear a voice within you saying 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” It is only by moving forward that my fears are eventually silenced and both my life and business are ultimately transformed.