Feel the fear…
…and do it anyway!
There are so many clichés I could use to describe the range of emotions connected to trying something new with no guarantees around how it will go.
The emotional journeys we travel when embarking on a new challenge can take us by surprise, even when it’s a challenge we have chosen to take up. I consider myself a pretty confident person, but I still hesitate when leaping into the unknown. Take the Preston Park launch for example; so many people had asked me to start up some sessions there, the space is fantastic, the catchment area for potential clients is A1 and yet still I travelled the emotional rollercoaster that I did when I first launched Jo’s Thing back in 2010. You know, all the ‘will it work?’ ‘am I good enough?’ ‘what if it fails?’ questions which we ruminate over, filling ourselves with self doubt. What has changed though, is that the self doubt takes a back seat far more quickly these days, (helped hugely by my amazing clients, the fabulous turnout and never ending support from Ros) and I’m able to believe and look forwards with positivity soon after I’ve made the initial decision.
It’s not dissimilar to my decision to start training and lose my excess flab back in 2007. It was a decision that I had made and wanted to do but the fear of making a fool of myself in front of my personal trainer and/or not seeing it through and/or not getting any fitter etc was enough to give me a few sleepless nights. Of course once I’d started I absolutely loved it, but until I’d taken that first step, it was the classic fear of the unknown.
I reckon taking the leap of faith is one of those things that becomes easier the more leaps you take. I hesitated when I took Ros on (would it work? would we have enough clients for 2 trainers? would people mind being trained by 2 different trainers? and so on….) but it very quickly became apparent that it was one of the best decisions I’ve made.
It’s still early days with Preston Park but what I do know is that I’m very glad I’m trying it. Who knows where we’ll be with it this time next year, but right now? It’s feeling pretty magic.
Whether fitness related or not, what magic are you missing out on by staying in your comfort zone?