How to Take Action Despite Being Scared

When you know what you need to do, but your heart is pounding, your palms are sweating and your thoughts are begging you to please, just not do that -- how do you take action anyway? Find out with these quick tips.

1)
Decide on your course of action -- ask yourself "what do I need to take action on that I've been avoiding?" Your answer is likely something that scares you. Choose which scary actions are most important for propelling your life successfully forward. Maybe you need to apply for a new job, audition for a part, submit a bid, call a prospect, ask for a date, introduce yourself to a stranger, or have a difficult conversation -- what scares you that you want to take action on? Ask yourself this.

2)

Why do you want it -- what will taking this scary action bring you? Peace of mind? Fulfillment? Joy? Money? A new relationship? Risk does truly equal reward! Write down what good things could happen to you if you take a risk.

3)

Write out a plan -- if you weren't scared what action would you take? What would an incredibly confident person do in your shoes? What needs to be done? Write out a clear plan of the steps that need to happen. Do you need to show up at a party alone, research a topic you'd rather avoid, or ask that cute person for their phone number? Break this task down into small steps in your plan. Number your list from 1 to 10 and include every action that needs to happen.

4)

Feel the fear -- write down specifically what you feel. When you imagine yourself taking action do you feel dread? Excitement? Panic? What happens to your body? Where do you feel the fear? Write it down.

5)
Why is the fear there -- what is the fear trying to protect you from? Unless your goal is to wrestle a bear, most of our modern goals are pretty harmless. Is part of you afraid to change or to see yourself as confident and successful? Is it just habit? Is the "old you" afraid of the "new you"? Ask yourself why.

6)

Do it anyway -- now, with a clear understanding of what your goal is, why you want it, what the steps are, what you fear is, why your fear is there, you can now DO IT ANYWAY. Regardless of how much fear you feel, tell yourself "I don't care how scared you are, or how much you don't want me to do this, I'm doing it anyway -- deal with it." this is where you make a conscious choice to take action, regardless of anything else. Choose one item on your list, and do it within 24 hours.

7)

Celebrate -- regardless of what the results were, what matters is that you took a risk and took action. This is how people build confidence. Congratulations! Now take another action on your list and feel how successful you feel by taking action and doing it, instead of just dreaming about it. Each little action you take creates your new, successful life!

NOTE: Don't be too hard on yourself if you chicken out. Just keep going back through the steps until you DO TAKE ACTION. :)

What action can you take in the next 24 hours that scares you? What good things would doing that possibly bring into your life?

http://www.yourdreamslifecoach.com

Find out more about Life Coaching. I'm a NYC Certified Life Coach serving professional, ambitious clients. 

How to Make Your Resolutions Stick

It's a fresh, bright new year! 2009 promises to be great -- so what better time to start living our best lives? But how can we make those familiar resolutions to improve finances, relationships and health stick this year? Check out this article for easy tips!

1) Know what you want -- sounds simple, but if you don't have a clear idea what your dreams for the upcoming year are, you won't have the passion to stick to them. Discover what you really want by asking yourself what you'd do this year if you were a billionaire. Maybe a vacation is what you're craving? Or more time with important people? Getting in touch with what you really want will spark your passion and make it easier to reach that goal quickly -- plus, it's just more fun to achieve the things you really want.

2) Know what you don't want -- think about your worst case scenario for this year. What really scares you? What would be the worst thing that could happen? Are your fears financial (like many people these days), or are you more concerned about something else? Discover your worst case and then determine what you can do to prevent that from occurring -- this will give you the motivation to stick with your goals throughout the year.

3)Write it -- did the previous two questions already spark some ideas in your mind? Write your insights down in a Resolution Journal that you will keep all year. When you lose motivation, simply flip back to earlier entries to remind yourself why you're passionate about achieving these goals once and for all. You can also record progress and roadblocks in one organized place.

4) Plan it --your creative ideas for changing your life will not do much good if you don't take action, will they? With an Action Plan, your dreams won't collect dust. Use a 30-day Action Plan form where you can track your goals. This is a tool I use with my clients and it really helps. You can make your own fairly easily. Breaking each large goal down into 10 achievable steps makes it easier to take easy action each day. You'll be amazed how quickly you can see progress from some small changes!

5)Dedicate yourself -- having commitment for your goal is easier said than done. Sure, it's easy for a week, but what happens three months from now? Will you still be going to the gym, making time for important people, and voicing your opinions at work? Get support to help you stick to your goals. Talk with people you trust who won't judge you or your goals. Check in with them once a week -- ask them to hold you accountable! Show them your Action Plan tasks. Find someone who is neutral, objective, and has your best interests at heart -- otherwise this may actually set you back.

6)Celebrate! Enjoy the feeling of completing your action items from the first day you start. And continue to celebrate weekly, monthly and year-end goals. This is an exciting and motivating part of living your dreams. So don't forget to enjoy the feeling of success! You deserve it.

http://www.yourdreamslifecoach.com

Find out more about Life Coaching. I'm a NYC Certified Life Coach serving professional, ambitious clients.