Fear, that’s what I’m waiting for champ, the fear to pass. I know cos I have this big bloody post on my notice board that says:

“Be afraid and do it anyway”. In extremely big, super bold text.

I have a couple of friends, talented, smart, savvy friends who want to go out on their own and start a business. They just can’t seem to get started, I mean, they have ideas, I don’t doubt their desire one little bit. Yet, they stay working for managers who they are frustrated with and employers who don’t care about them.

So what’s stopping them?

To put it simply it’s the pain, it just isn’t big enough yet, otherwise they would get the hell out of their comfort zone and take a risk.

I know, easier said than done, and there is zero judgement in that preceding statement.

I get it cos I fight that fear and pain most weeks. On a Monday I’m the Queen of the World! (in my niche of course). Come Thursday of that very same week I’m battling the “what the heck do I know, why would anyone come to me for help”.

It’s that dramatic and that regular.

The difference is, I know through experience that those negative self doubt feelings will pass, they always do, so I ride it out, sometimes with the help of quiet Rose whilst chewing the ear off my ever patient partner.

I have become accustomed to the highs and lows, the wins and losses, the risk and reward of business. I feel as if no matter what, I will be ok and my history serves to confirm that.

I impart this to my wonderful friends and yet, they have yet to take the leap.

So me being me I’ve delved the depths of the human psyche to try and figure this out and I think I’ve pinpointed a couple key reasons:

They are both highly analytical and on top of that perfectionists.

Analytical people look at things to all sides over and over again and there are so many variations to any and all issues that it becomes quite polarising and paralysing.

The perfectionist quality and it is a quality with a great deal of value, seems to require everything to be 100% and prevents the prioritisation of tasks to some degree. Or to put it another way, keeps the focus very task oriented rather than keeping the big picture as the key driver.

How do you get past that? I hear you say.

Well, I’m working on that, if I get one of them over the line I’ll let you know how. Until then, understanding what is stopping you is pretty important, so lets take it one step at a time.

Let’s talk about how to make decisions and take risks next blog, it’s such an interesting subject. We all have the same fears you know, we just manage them differently.

I talk about all of this in my new book “The Albino Chameleon – Building The Story Of You”. Register for a copy now, it’s a riot!

Til then.

Kirsty Ferguson

Founder, International Career Coach and Author

www.thealbinochameleon.com