Don't Do it Afraid

I know today is Halloween and the title of this blog is giving spooky vibes, but it actually has nothing to do with that.

Ever felt or been so close to achieving a dream, or taking a next step, or making a big change, or trying something new in your life, and then freeze because of the weight of that thing hits you all at once or you suddenly realize it's happening and get scared, or you just don't feel quite ready. This was me a few weeks ago. I had an incredible opportunity to receive coaching and some other free resources related to an original and personal "dream", or business venture, after being selected from a group of applicants to a program based in Madison. It was somewhat of an inconvenient and stressful time for me personally, but I still was able to make the program work, until I had basically an emotional breakdown. I got really scared and overwhelmed and could not keep myself together to complete the program, so I walked away. I had to have some really difficult conversations with my coach, the program staff, my husband, and some of the guest speakers. I felt awful at first from walking away from such a beautiful and unique opportunity that seemed to be ideal for me and aligned with my vision for my life, but upon reflection and some time removed from the situation, I realized that the right thing at the wrong time is still the wrong thing. I was simply not ready emotionally, physically, or mentally to hold the capacity to start a business at this time of my life. Perhaps the day will come and maybe even sooner than expected but for now, I take a step away from this idea and let it go while it doesn't fit my circumstances. Sometimes it is not ideal or appropriate to "do it afraid" or step into the unknown if it doesn't make sense or match up with your circumstances. Sometimes the hard conversations need to happen and you need to take a step back and reevaluate and seek guidance. Thankfully, I am still able to make use of some of the resources and network that are a part of the program, and I am grateful for that especially in this season of the gritty, deep soul work that comes with big decision making.

So now, I'd like to turn the mic to you:

1. Have you ever chose NOT to "do it afraid"?

2. What caused you to make that choice?

3. What did you learn?

4. How would you advise others faced with life altering decisions that feel unsettling?

5. How do you cope when needing to make major decisions? Who helps you process these moments?