“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”
― Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
This is the question of the ages. Fear is what stops you from pursuing your dreams. When you allow fear to stand in the way, you end up settling for what is safe or easy. And, that’s the recipe for a life of mediocrity.
A lot of times, you’re afraid because you don’t know what you don’t know. Well, it’s time to shift your mindset. You already know more than you think. And, you have the internet and literally thousands of contacts online who you can reach out to (contacts can be LinkedIn connections or Facebook friends, etc.).
More to explore …
Journal your answer to this question: “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”
Grab a couple sheets of paper and a pen. It’s much more effective if you connect to the physical process of writing rather than typing into your phone or at your computer.
Set a timer for 15 minutes and then write as fast as you can. Put each new idea on a new line. Challenge yourself to write for the allotted time. If the timer goes off and you’re on a roll, keep on writing.
Next, select a couple items from your list that really interest you and write down the first three steps — really easy steps — you can take towards accomplishing them.
I’m not saying you have to write down a complete list of everything you would need to do — just the first three steps. If you want to take this challenge up a notch, select 10 things from your list and write 3 to 5 micro-steps to complete for each.
Again, you don’t need to do any of these things. This is just to illustrate that you have things you want to do (if you weren’t afraid). And, you know a lot of the micro-steps you need to get started. You can easily learn the rest along the way.
For example: I want to learn a new language.
Steps:
- Determine what language I want to study
- Find a resource where I could learn the language
- Sign up for a free trial at a language learning site
Finally, if you’re ready to take the next step, take the next steps and get started with one of your dreams!
Best,
Tara Alexandra Kachaturoff
