Feel the fear and do it anyway

Today I thought I would write a short blog on an old but well-renowned book.

‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’ as many will know is a ‘self-help’ book by Susan Jeffers. It was first published in 1987 and is now in its 25th edition.
 
It may be ‘old’ but this practical and concise book has sold over two million copies worldwide, has been published in over 100 countries, and translated into 36 languages.
 
It’s a great book if you’re not a massive fan of reading as it's relatively short, easy to pick up and put down, and is written plainly and simply.  
 
The key message, and a very memorable one at that, is in the title, but the book delves deeper into the psychology of fear and anxiety that can attach itself to any number of situations that we human beings encounter in day-to-day life. 
 
The truth is that if you put yourself in a position of power from which you can achieve anything that you are wholeheartedly committed to, with or without the support of your advocates then there is nothing to fear.
 
If you can push yourself forward to go and do the action in question, then the fear disappears.
 
That’s not to say that it won’t be replaced by another fear – because if you are a driven individual looking to live your best life, you will likely move onto the next challenge, but remember that you are not alone in this journey.
 
A part of the book that I found interesting refers to the recognition that as you change, others around you that were part of your close friendship group or family group do not always seem to like those changes. 

This can be a shock to you, after all, you are changing yourself for the better.  

This can be a pretty disturbing place to be. Not only is the change that you are undertaking evoking feelings of fear, but now you are also risking losing your relationships. 
How does this make you feel?
 
It is almost certainly going to evoke some self-doubt. Hopefully, you feel strongly enough about the journey that you are taking to continue down that path.  
 
Making the conscious decision to say ‘yes’ to one thing inevitably also results in saying ‘no’ to something else. For example, saying ‘yes’ to more sleep by pressing the snooze button on the alarm clock means saying ‘no’ to a leisurely shower.
 
Applying this concept therefore indicates that by saying ‘yes’ to change, you may lose some of your relationships during this period. This highlights the need to keep and grow your positive support system. To increase the people in your support group that back you and encourage you. Those that positively contribute to your growth.
 
The role of your Life Coach is to support you from an unattached perspective. To positively encourage you to stretch and grow. To help you to identify your dreams and take steps towards them. To be your ambassador and highlight your strengths and achievements. To provide clarity and direction towards your goals. To help you to maintain momentum over the long term and to be available as an integral part of your support group – always from a neutral perspective.
 
My recommendation to you is to grab a copy of Susan Jeffers's book if you haven’t already read it. It won’t steal too many hours of your life yet will remind you of some very simple self-help tactics.
 
Enjoy.

Angela