Fear and Confidence
Let me ask you something...what keeps you from taking action towards your goals?
My guess is the reason isn’t lack of talent or ability. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that the ONLY thing getting in the way of you and your goals is your mindset. You’re not the only one.
Did you know that an independent study done by Hewlett Packard found that when a new higher-level position would open up within the company, more men would apply if they felt they had 60% of the skillset required for the job, whereas women would only apply if they felt they had 100% of the skills required?
When I read about this, my first thought was, as women, how many opportunities do we pass on because we don’t feel like we have what it takes?
I’m going to be straight with you (it’s what I do.) If my experience working with hundreds of clients over the years has taught me one thing, it’s this: our lack of confidence as women is epidemic. And the impact of it on our lives is that we take fewer chances, play small, and give up on our goals and dreams.
In other words, we let fear run the show.
And listen, I get it. I completely understand what happens when fear takes over and keeps you from taking the first step...or the next step.
After years of working my way up in the corporate world, I became a mom and my priorities changed dramatically. I was no longer interested in the prestigious title or any of the perks that came along with it.
I still wanted to do work that I loved but I wanted to end the game of trading time for dollars. I wanted the freedom to really be there for my family, which meant being able to create my own schedule AND make a great income.
I’d helped my employees get great results when I coached them in the corporate setting, and I knew I could produce the same results for private clients. I was especially passionate about working exclusively with women.
So, I quit corporate.
My co-workers may have thought I was crazy to walk away from a career I’d worked so hard for, but I was determined to start my own business and forge my own path.
And that’s when the trash talk kicked in.
You know what I’m talking about...that nagging voice that likes to convince you you’re not capable of pulling this off and you’re crazy to even try.
I struggled and I struggled hard. Getting my head around the fact that there was a huge learning curve to even set up my own company let alone learn all the tech behind the software and systems you need to have in place when the majority of your business runs online.
Without the corporate support structure and not being able to bring other people in when I needed help or advice was frustrating. Sometimes I procrastinated instead of working through things that needed to get done. Sometimes I gave up. I was petrified of failing.
I’m grateful that wasn’t the end of the story.
At some point, I just decided that enough was enough...I was done telling myself all the reasons being my own boss wouldn't work. If I wanted a positive outcome for my business and my life, my thoughts needed to be in alignment with that outcome.
That’s when things started to shift. Of course, it doesn’t mean I didn’t face any challenges along the way. I can assure you, there were plenty!
But shifting my mindset gave me the confidence to figure things out as I went along so I could keep moving forward - even when it wasn’t perfect.
I can’t imagine how different my life would look today if I’d let negativity and self-doubt determine my fate. I do know I wouldn’t have built a successful coaching practice from the ground up and I wouldn’t be writing to you today to let you know that if I could do it, you can do it!
Progress, not perfection
Agata Galuszka
Founder of Confidence & Financial Independence Academy - The online school for women
p.s. If we haven't already, let connect on social media! Join me on Facebook and Instagram so we can get to know each other better!
