Fear is my new best friend. I am getting used to living in fear. Why? Because there are so many new things happening in my life with my work, my business and my book that I am waaaay out of my comfort zone. Every day, I am coming across a new situation or a new skill I need to learn. And, every day, I am faced with the fear of not knowing, of not being perfect, of trying something new. But, being outside of my comfort zone means I’m learning and I guess I have a confession to make: I may or may not be addicted to learning.
I have always been happy being a teacher. I love my job and I’m good at it. One of the great things about teaching is that every day there is something new that happens. You never get the same exact day, lesson or moment so you never really know what to expect. There is never a dull moment. However, somewhere down that road, I felt like a needed more of a challenge. So, I decided to apply for a new job. Boy, was it ever scary leaving the comfort of my classroom for the unknown: becoming an instructional coach!
Being an instructional coach is awesome! I love my job and I’m good at it. One of the great things about my job is that I’m always learning. Did I mention my addiction? I’m learning with educators and students, helping them to push their limits and live in their fear because they are trying new and different strategies in the classroom. Then, I wanted to live another dream: I wanted to take a sabbatical year and travel, learn and explore with my son.
On my sabbatical year, my son and I went travelling through Europe to places familiar but to many more places unknown. We had our itinerary, but we were pretty much making it up as we went along. Every day was literally an adventure. We homeschooled along the way, and that was also new and a little scary: I alone was responsible for my own son’s progress that year. The good news is that he and I both enjoyed it so much that we decided to keep going after we returned from our European adventure.
So, we were home. We were homeschooling and I was thinking: This is the only time during my career when I am going to have the time to pursue bigger interests outside of work. Next thing I know, I’m starting a home-based business and writing a book. Hello, FEAR!
Wow! Never in a million years, would I have thought I would be out there with my own business and writing a book. Every time I turn around, there is something new to learn, and new mistakes to make. And, you know what? I’ve discovered I’m OK with that.
What I’ve learned from all of these adventures is that you have to see the fear and realize that it is just fear. It is not real and it can only stand in your way if you let it. We think (especially women) that before we try something, we have to know everything about it. We think that if we know all about it, we will know exactly what to do and we won’t make any mistakes. We research it to death before we take the first step to trying something new. But, you know what? Even when you do all of your research, you still make mistakes. And, that’s ok because it means you are learning!
Doing your research is great so that you have an idea of how to do things but don’t let it stand in the way of taking action because you will never have all of the information. No one ever went anywhere standing still. There comes a point in time when you just have to act; to take that first step. You may not know how you are going to land and where you are going to end up or how you are going to get there, but you have to trust that you can get there and take a step. That is facing your fear and embracing it. And, one step after another, you will find yourself on an incredible journey.
Is it scary? You bet! If you want to learn something, if you want to try something new, if you want to accomplish something, you are going to be afraid because you don’t know how it’s going to turn out; you don’t know what to expect. But, you have to trust yourself and the universe to bring you where you need to be. Besides, what’s the alternative? Standing still. And, that’s no fun! So get out there, and take that step. Look fear in the face and say, “Wanna come out and play?”
