This post was written by Anastasiya . Follow me on Twitter or StumbleUpon and keep your life balanced!
Almost every year we think about new things that we want to do, things that we want to change and improve. Every year we read articles about making resolutions that you can stick to and setting the right goals in life (if you missed it last year or you need a refresher course read how to make resolutions that work .)All too often we look back at our last year resolutions and we see that we didn’t move forward much (that is why we usually do not like to analyze our resolutions from the previous year.)
There might be millions of reasons why we do not succeed with our goals but one of these reasons is the biggest in my opinion. This reason is fear. Yes, I know that you have heard it before but did you ever try to change it?
Personal Confession
I must confess that I was not very good at fighting my personal fears until this year (I mean 2010 in case you are are reading this article in 2011 or later.)
Every year I would make plans but I failed at them because … I didn’t have enough time … I was not ready … It was not really that important … or I had more important things to do. The truth behind all these excuses was that I was scared.
Last year I made a few resolutions and I really tried my best to stick to them. I didn’t get all of them but I moved forward in every direction. But the most important thing is that I got over my fears that I had for years:
The embarrassing fear: For someone who grew up in the US this might seem crazy but I was scared of driving. You know, like some people almost faint when they see a needle and a few drops of blood? Well, I was almost the same way when I had to sit behind the wheel of our car.
In Ukraine (my home country) most people do not have cars because public transportation is well-developed and readily available. In the two and a half years that I lived in the US my husband was kind enough to take me to most places that I needed to go to … I feel almost like a loser while I am telling you this … The moral of the story is that in 2010 I finally started driving on my own to the store and running a few errands and the biggest thing for me was to drive 25 minutes to my Pilates class (and back) after dark. You can’t imagine how frightened I was before that drive and how empowered I felt after I got back safely.
The personal-doubt fear: Ever since I got to the US I wanted to start teaching my Pilates classes again. At the same time I was scared that studio owners would not hire me because of my accent and mistakes in my English. I was also worried that clients would not like my classes for the same reason (a true Pilates class is taught without any visual demonstration, only verbal cuing.) Thankfully I found a very wonderful lady (the owner of Waccamaw Pilates where I work right now) who helped me in every possible way. Now I finally teach 2 classes a week and next year I am planning to continue my training and start teaching even more.
The virtual/public fear: Ever since I started my blog I wanted to run online life balance retreats (this link has a small surprise that not many people know about right now) in the hope that it that would help bring more balance into the lives of my readers. This dream always seemed too distant because … I didn’t have enough subscribers … I was not sure that I had enough knowledge … and I was just afraid that my attempt will fail miserably. Well, the retreat turned out to be a success and I am extremely grateful that I had this experience.
How to get past your fears
You are probably wondering why I told you all these stories. I didn’t mean to brag (I hope it didn’t look that way) but I wanted to show real examples of how fear in different areas of life can be conquered. When I analyze my practical steps here is what helped me and can help you with your fears:
- Get prepared. Before you “enter” your fear explore all the possible ways how you can get through it. In the case regarding driving it was extremely important for me to know the exact route. In the case about Pilates classes it was important for me of course to know how to teach a class. Ask yourself:
What resources will help me overcome this fear and succeed? What do I need to know before I start this project?
- Announce your goals/fears It is easy to be trapped by your fear if the only person knowing about your goals is you. If you tell people around you that you are going to do something then you will develop asense of accountability. Social stimulation can give you enough motivation to go past your insecurities and fear.
I told my husband that I was going to drive even if I didn’t want to.
I announced the retreat on my blog even before I started getting all the materials ready.
Who can you tell about your goals? Don’t pick a person who will let you slide by, pick someone who will stay on you or who you highly respect.
- Jump into it before you get scared. This tip is controversial but it works. Sometimes you just need to get a big breath of air and do it even if you think that you are not ready. The more you think about your fear the more paralyzed and terrified you get. After all, what do you have to lose? At least you will know that if something does not work and you will be able to focus on something else in your life.
This is exactly what I did when I contacted Waccamaw Pilates – I just sent the owner an email saying who I was and that I wanted to help out at the studio for free.
With the Balance In Me retreat I did the same thing – instead of getting all the content ready in advance I just decided to create it as I went on with the retreat. While I had a plan for the retreat this approach let me have more flexibility with the content. I focused on the topics that the members of the retreat were most interested in and created workouts that suited their needs the best.
What are you ready to try?
- Be ready to meet people who will help you. A lot of times we believe that we are the only ones who must be in complete control of the entire situation. We are not ready to receive help and support that is often offered to us. While you still must be responsible for all your actions and decisions I find that a lot of times we meet people in life who were sent to help us.
As a Christian I believe that God uses people to guide us and to give us the help and support when we need it. Every day I thank God for all the wonderful people who helped me along the way (by giving helpful advice, timely encouragement or just teaming up with me on some projects) and I pray that I can help someone else on their way. This is the main reason why I write this blog – I want to be the person who can help you right when you need it. If I can do anything for you – please drop me a line 
- Plan your rewards. This is my favorite. Reaching your goal or getting past your fear might be a sufficient reward but little things can give you the extra motivation that you need.
For example the first drive that I made on my own was to a beauty salon where I got pedicure, manicure and a haircut – basically pampered myself all the way. The launch of the Balance In Me Retreat was perfectly timed before my husband’s and my mini-vacation. When I had trouble losing weight my reward (after my babies were born) I rewarded myself with a few additions to my wardrobe. Basically you get the idea.
Did you make your resolutions for 2011? Do you have any fears that you have to conquer? Did you conquer some fears in 2010?
Send me a tweet or drop me a line. I will post your accomplishments or your goals at the end of this post (you can mention your website and I will add a do-follow link together with your name.)
Creating a community of people looking for balance in life is another resolution of mine. This community is the best way to keep up our motivation and to empower each other. Let’s make 2011 the year of accomplishments and overcoming our fears.
Keep it balanced!
Photo credit: torpore
This post was written by Anastasiya . Follow me on Twitter or StumbleUpon and keep your life balanced!
There might be millions of reasons why we do not succeed with our goals but one of these reasons is the biggest in my opinion. This reason is fear. Yes, I know that you have heard it before but did you ever try to change it?
Personal Confession
I must confess that I was not very good at fighting my personal fears until this year (I mean 2010 in case you are are reading this article in 2011 or later.)
Every year I would make plans but I failed at them because … I didn’t have enough time … I was not ready … It was not really that important … or I had more important things to do. The truth behind all these excuses was that I was scared.
Last year I made a few resolutions and I really tried my best to stick to them. I didn’t get all of them but I moved forward in every direction. But the most important thing is that I got over my fears that I had for years:
The embarrassing fear: For someone who grew up in the US this might seem crazy but I was scared of driving. You know, like some people almost faint when they see a needle and a few drops of blood? Well, I was almost the same way when I had to sit behind the wheel of our car.
In Ukraine (my home country) most people do not have cars because public transportation is well-developed and readily available. In the two and a half years that I lived in the US my husband was kind enough to take me to most places that I needed to go to … I feel almost like a loser while I am telling you this … The moral of the story is that in 2010 I finally started driving on my own to the store and running a few errands and the biggest thing for me was to drive 25 minutes to my Pilates class (and back) after dark. You can’t imagine how frightened I was before that drive and how empowered I felt after I got back safely.
The personal-doubt fear: Ever since I got to the US I wanted to start teaching my Pilates classes again. At the same time I was scared that studio owners would not hire me because of my accent and mistakes in my English. I was also worried that clients would not like my classes for the same reason (a true Pilates class is taught without any visual demonstration, only verbal cuing.) Thankfully I found a very wonderful lady (the owner of Waccamaw Pilates where I work right now) who helped me in every possible way. Now I finally teach 2 classes a week and next year I am planning to continue my training and start teaching even more.
The virtual/public fear: Ever since I started my blog I wanted to run online life balance retreats (this link has a small surprise that not many people know about right now) in the hope that it that would help bring more balance into the lives of my readers. This dream always seemed too distant because … I didn’t have enough subscribers … I was not sure that I had enough knowledge … and I was just afraid that my attempt will fail miserably. Well, the retreat turned out to be a success and I am extremely grateful that I had this experience.
How to get past your fears
You are probably wondering why I told you all these stories. I didn’t mean to brag (I hope it didn’t look that way) but I wanted to show real examples of how fear in different areas of life can be conquered. When I analyze my practical steps here is what helped me and can help you with your fears:
What resources will help me overcome this fear and succeed? What do I need to know before I start this project?
I told my husband that I was going to drive even if I didn’t want to.
I announced the retreat on my blog even before I started getting all the materials ready.
Who can you tell about your goals? Don’t pick a person who will let you slide by, pick someone who will stay on you or who you highly respect.
This is exactly what I did when I contacted Waccamaw Pilates – I just sent the owner an email saying who I was and that I wanted to help out at the studio for free.
With the Balance In Me retreat I did the same thing – instead of getting all the content ready in advance I just decided to create it as I went on with the retreat. While I had a plan for the retreat this approach let me have more flexibility with the content. I focused on the topics that the members of the retreat were most interested in and created workouts that suited their needs the best.
What are you ready to try?
As a Christian I believe that God uses people to guide us and to give us the help and support when we need it. Every day I thank God for all the wonderful people who helped me along the way (by giving helpful advice, timely encouragement or just teaming up with me on some projects) and I pray that I can help someone else on their way. This is the main reason why I write this blog – I want to be the person who can help you right when you need it. If I can do anything for you – please drop me a line
For example the first drive that I made on my own was to a beauty salon where I got pedicure, manicure and a haircut – basically pampered myself all the way. The launch of the Balance In Me Retreat was perfectly timed before my husband’s and my mini-vacation. When I had trouble losing weight my reward (after my babies were born) I rewarded myself with a few additions to my wardrobe. Basically you get the idea.
Did you make your resolutions for 2011? Do you have any fears that you have to conquer? Did you conquer some fears in 2010?
Send me a tweet or drop me a line. I will post your accomplishments or your goals at the end of this post (you can mention your website and I will add a do-follow link together with your name.)
Creating a community of people looking for balance in life is another resolution of mine. This community is the best way to keep up our motivation and to empower each other. Let’s make 2011 the year of accomplishments and overcoming our fears.
Keep it balanced!
Photo credit: torpore