Taking the next step, or the first step for that matter, can be a challenge.
You may have experienced this in life and in business. That feeling of being really scared to say yes, or to change direction, or to make a decision when you are not sure what the outcome will be.
There was a time when I felt exactly the same. I call it having a wobble. That feeling of being sick in the stomach, some might call it having butterflies in the stomach, but wanting to say yes anyhow. It’s a certain knowing that you really want to do something and on the other hand feeling that there is something holding you back. Often it can be worrying about what others think, or being scared the cost in emotional or monetary terms will be too much, or that you have to commit to something you are not sure you can fully commit to because you don’t trust yourself. It could be that you have not been the best at making decisions in the past and when you procrastinated you missed the thing you really wanted so now you just put up with the pain.
Wobbles usually happen when you are about to have a breakthrough, and, wobbles will turn into pain very quickly if you choose to ignore your feelings and not make decisions. The pain can be debilitating.
When I was starting out in business I made the decision to work with a mentor and I was not sure how I was going to pay the amount he was asking per month. As soon as I said yes, I had a renewed focus and was much more energized everyday to get up and get on with building my business. The next time I was choosing a mentor (four times more money per month this time) I walked into the bathroom and dry retched after signing up!! And then in about 20 minutes I was working more strategically than I had ever done in the past to build my business. I had a plan and was willing to take massive action. I knew the pain of signing for a HUGE outlay per month to have this expert with me all the way in my business was less than that pain I had been feeling for months of being stuck, alone, out of control and not having a structure and moving forward. My business doubled in 3 months and tripled in 12. It was the right decision and I knew it.
I became a decision maker. Now I make decisions quickly and just get on with it.
When I was training as a coach I remember learning about the fact that we are all 100% responsible for the decisions we make. Sometimes I’m a slow learner 🙂 and it took me a while, but it is true, we are 100% responsible. I guess I learnt the hard way because I went through a lot of pain before I took the leap of faith and did what I knew I really, really wanted to do.
You may know what I mean. I had a burning desire to do more and to be more and found that really hard to articulate when doing my best to explain it to friends and family. They clearly didn’t understand that I wanted to leave (what they thought) a perfectly good job in management. Continually wondering what others thought was dragging me down. It took some work, however I learnt to let go of what others where thinking and to focus on the dreams and goals I had and planned to achieve.
Yes there have been times in the past few years when I have had a wobble, and yes there was and often is pain, but it is not any where near as debilitating as the pain caused by not taking a leap of faith and trusting myself and others. I’ve traced my journey back to the fact that I didn’t trust myself to follow through. Thank goodness that has changed! Now I make decisions quickly and just get on with it!
If I can make changes in my life, you can also make decisions by taking a leap of faith and believing in yourself. You can work toward what you want, knowing that you are the only one responsible for your life.
Life is short.
Learn to take chances and risks.
Learn to trust yourself.
It’s your time to fly.
It’s your time to shine.
Take the leap.
M x
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