Fear.
So many clients come to me out of fear.
They say things like:
“I know I need a new career but I’m afraid”
“I’m afraid I will never find my passion”
“I want a new job, but I’m afraid I won’t get one”
“I need to do something I love but I’m afraid it won’t happen”
“I deserve a promotion but I’m afraid to ask”
“I want to switch departments but I’m afraid they’ll say no.”
“I want to start my own business but I’m totally overwhelmed.”
SO. MUCH. FEAR.
All the fears. Which are totally rational by the way. Making any change is scary - making career changes, where your livelihood is at stake? Freakin’ terrifying.
I wish I had a magic wand and I could make their fear disappear. But I don’t and I can’t. Does that mean that they are stuck with this career crippling fear forever?
Absolutely not. IF they decide to tackle it head on. But howwwwwww? Confronting your fear can be… frightening. How’s that for meta? Follow the steps below and you’ll be well on your way to moving past those big ‘ol fear blocks.
1. Congratulate yourself for considering change:
Honestly! It’s a big deal! So many people never even get to the point where they move past being unhappy to actually making a decision to do something about it. You’re ahead of the pack… already!
2. Accept that you’re scared, acknowledge the fear:
Fear is real and it’s intense. Trying to pretend you’re not scared doesn’t help anyone/anything. Once you sit back, acknowledge that you’re scared, but decide to move forward anyways…. that’s where shit gets real!
3. Visualize the outcome of NOT taking any action:
A good friend clued me into this concept when I was having trouble moving past something because I was frightened. And man ‘o man was she right!! Find a quiet space, clear your head for a second and just visualize. Visualize what will happen if you do nothing. How will you feel 1 month, 6 months, 1 year from now. The results of inaction are far more likely to be scarier than anything moving forward might bring!
4. Take your time & be intentional:
Now that you’ve decided to make something happen don’t just go running around the office yelling “BURN IT DOOOOWWWWN!” Take a few more moments to decide on a plan of action. You don’t have to have it all figured out, but you do need at least a broad-strokes plan. You want to make your next move carefully and intentionally. But here’s the cool thing… your next move is tiny. Like sooo little. Shhhh tiiiiinnnnyyy…….
5. Commit to doing one very small thing towards the change that scares you:
I mean tiny. Minuscule. Really freaking small. Something like: putting some time on your calendar to research salaries for that role you have your eye on. Just block out 30 mins on your calendar. That’s it.
Write out a list of 5 people who inspire you. On a post-it. Stick it on your desk. That’s it. Just 5.
Find an article to IM the manager of that cool department you want to break into. That’s all. Just find the article.
One TINY step will lead to another and another and soon enough you’ll have taken one actual full-sized step!
That’s it.
You my friend are now officially on your way and walking through all that fear! Well done you.
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Need more help getting past your fear? Don’t forget to grab your free workbook here!
Yours in ditch that fear goodness-
EBS
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EB Sanders
Career Coach for Creative Types
My Website | Free Stuff | Pinterest
Helping you figure out what you want to do and how to do it your way!
