There are two kinds of people in this world: those who make things happen and those who wait for things to happen to them.
For some it comes easy: They are natural risk-takers. They get a rush from new, exciting ventures. They don't care what other people think of their decisions.
For others, not so much: They weigh the options, and then they weigh them again. They try to calculate the exact outcome for success before even making the first step.
I am not the former. I ponder. I ask opinions. I research. I accept advice as truth. Then I hear new advice and make that truth.
I easily, without hesitation, can be persuaded away from my original (and perfectly good) thought, belief, or idea and adapt someone else's.
If I'm not careful, I keep this cycle on repeat which brings my ideas, my dreams, and my thoughts, nowhere.
And for what reason? Fear.
Fear of failure and disappointment. Making a mistake. Regretting a decision. Being rejected. Not having it perfect the first time.
Sound familiar?
When you feel stuck or hesitant about making a move towards something you want, be it your life's calling or one small task, use these 3 steps to work through the fear and make it happen...
1. Listen to your fire.
You know that burning feeling when you're onto something good? Like you just need to pursue it or you feel like you'll burn up? That fire is yours and only yours. If it's burning hot, make a move. Don't let anyone stifle it.
2. Take action.
Take the first step. No matter how small. Maybe it's just putting an idea down on paper. Maybe it's announcing to your office you have a project idea. Maybe it's writing the first words to your book. Maybe it's setting up a meeting with someone in your industry.
Then take the next small action. Then the next. Keep taking small actions. Over and over. The more action, the more clarity. Not the other way around.
3. Don't listen to other people.
Once you put yourself out there you will encounter idea-squashers, naysayers & Debbie downers. Especially if your idea is big.
Take their advice with a grain of salt, but don't take it personally and keep the bellows on the fire.
Fear can only thrive in a space where you give it permission. So instead, give yourself permission to take the first step. Then the second. Then the third.
Success isn't measured by what you accomplish, but how true you stayed to your dreams.
Read more radical recipes, easeful yoga & meditation and straight talkin' healthy lifestyle tips from Meredith on her blog Be Well Yoga Lifestyle. Follow her on instagram at @mere_jane, twitter at @bwyogalifestyle & facebook here.