3 Things Holding You Back
Last week, I stopped by the bakery at Main Beach on Tedder Avenue. Sometimes a girl just needs a sausage roll, right? So I parked the car, walked into the bakery and went up at the counter and placed my order. Happy days! Except, when I was standing there, I felt eyes burning into the back of my head; that feeling when you know someone is watching you but not in a good way. I glanced over my shoulder and a woman was standing there near the back of the store and she was giving me the evil eye.
Unsure about why she was so unhappy with me, I asked "excuse me, is there a problem?" And she said, "Yes there is. I was waiting here first." I looked at her, standing at the back of the store, nowhere near the counter and was a little confused. I managed to say “I'm sorry", before grabbing my sausage roll and dashing out of the bakery to make my next appointment.
Later in the day, I thought about that woman standing at the back of the bakery awaiting to be served; waiting for her turn.
Do you ever find yourself waiting? It might be you're waiting for your website before you can launch your business. Maybe you're waiting for someone to tell you that your business idea is going to work. Maybe you're waiting for your manager to offer you a new leadership opportunity.
Instead of stepping up and taking your place at the counter, you wait. WHY?
Paralysed by perfection. You feel the pressure to be perfect. You wait to launch your blog, host your first event or send your report until it’s 100% perfect. However, the problem with waiting for perfection, is that, while you're waiting, other people are actually doing their thing, making a difference and being of service to others. So, you have to embrace your imperfection and get your work out there, knowing that it’s not perfect nor will it ever be. It’s interesting that we seldom expect perfection from others but expect it of ourselves.
Fearful of rejection. Most of us want to be liked and accepted. It’s scary to put your work out there, to be real and authentic because people might judge you negatively. They might not like what you have to say. People might reject you and your ideas. You might get a no. However, in order to do your best work, you need to risk more rejection. Have a voice. Get out there and if people reject your work, then it’s means that you’re actually saying something of value, you have an opinion. How wonderful! I had a blog post the other day and someone wrote in the comments, "Do people actually believe in this hocus pocus?" Haha – love it. As Taylor says: “The haters, gonna hate, hate, hate” Keep working, keep putting yourself out there and you'll find your tribe.
Expectation and avoidance of failure. You’ve been told that life is going to be hard, business is tough, so you start believing it and you expect to fail. Others around you may want you to fail because it makes them feel better about themselves and their own choices to avoid risk and failure. Time to shift this paradigm. Yes, you will fail (probably lots!) and that’s absolutely perfect. Failure means that you’re moving forward, stepping out of your comfort zone. You’re growing and learning.
“The person who fails the most wins.”
- Seth Godin
I don't want you to be the woman at the back of the Main Beach Bakery, waiting for your turn. I want you to have the confidence and courage to step up to the counter and place your order.
Don’t sit back and wait for someone to give you permission, give it to yourself. Know what you want, follow your passion and use your magic, to be of service to others.
Midja x