You’ve been thinking about it for a while. In fact, it’s all you’ve been thinking about. First it was your dream, then it became a goal, and now you have a plan. It’s all right in front of you. You’re poised for success, yet you’re holding back. Why?
If you’re experiencing a feeling of hesitation before embarking upon a new journey, you’re not alone. It’s normal to feel uncertain about what lies ahead. However, if you find yourself becoming easily distracted or finding excuses for taking action, it’s time to evaluate the root cause of your avoidance.
Perhaps you’re not fully convinced in the strength and efficacy of your plan. It might be that you don’t yet have all the resources needed to really start off on the right foot. But more often, you’ll find that fear is at the heart of all hesitation.
Fear is powerful. It has the strength to send the most willful person spiraling into a defeated, debilitated state. We know that fear only exists in our minds. It’s nothing physical that can cause bodily harm, yet we continue to let it control our thoughts and actions.
What are we so afraid of? When considering our endeavors, fear of failure is top of mind. Everyone at some point or another has felt afraid to fall short of their goals. But does that really define failure? Even when we traditionally “fail,” we still come away with lessons learned and a newfound knowledge of how to proceed the next time around.
I once had a client who suffered from “analysis paralysis.” She was dedicated to the idea that she had to have it all figured out before taking action. She analyzed every scenario or possible outcome, so she could feel confident with a ready response. This allayed her fear. She felt more in control. She was convinced that she had already considered every possibility and nothing could take her by surprise. The only problem is that she hadn’t taken any action. She knew this wasn’t ideal, but in her mind, it also caused a sense of comfort.
Since she was hesitating, this perfect idea in her mind was still intact. Nothing had yet occurred in her reality to derail her plan. Because she had not moved forward, she had not yet technically failed, and for her, that was good enough for now. This is a formula for long-term inactivity.
So how do we break free? The key is in remembering that action and failure is not an “all or nothing” game. You can take small action steps each and every day to move the needle forward. If something doesn’t go according to plan, adjust it. You have the willingness and dedication to get the job done right. So, instead of driving full speed ahead, set the cruise control at 50 and see where that takes you. If you need to take a pit stop along the way, do it. Chances are you will end up much further along than where you started.
If you’d like to chat about your specific journey, reach out to me. To book your free session with me, visit https://evolvewithquantum.com/apply.
Mariana Lacombe
mariana@evolvewithquantum.com
evolvewithquantum.com
