What’s Stopping You?

Is it fear? Well, we’re going to fix that.

I have an incredible imagination. I think and feel things in a massive, passionate and creative way. This works wonders in so many aspects of my life. It’s one of my greatest strengths. But, unfortunately, I’ve allowed this trait to get the best of me, at times. I gave my imagination the okay to let fear produce outcomes for my life. And that was such bad news, because I dreamed up so many scenarios of WHAT IF?! that I used to drive myself nuts and become stuck and frozen in limbo.

Before we started Limelife Photography in 2009, here are some things I was worried about..

I’m not as good as So-and-So.
We don’t have a website!
What if no one sees our website?!
How do we decide our business name?
What if we fail?
What if we don’t get enough clients?
What if we don’t make enough money?
What if I have to get a “real” job again?

Not sure about you, but the the anxiety and fear I used to allow myself to feel PRIOR to the actual event happening was always WAY WORSE than what I thought would happen. Now, we could get into psychology and defense mechanisms and all sorts of stuff, but the point is that because I was allowing fear to rule my emotions and decisions, I was paralyzed. And I didn’t even realize it. There were some very simple answers to the questions running through my brain. I know that now. But at the time, I allowed these questions to snowball together (into something MUCH larger than they actually were) and create momentum and power over my desires. Turns out, we spent too much time making things happen in the early stages of our photography business.

“What is it costing you to stay in the same place you’re at and not take the “risk” of moving forward?”
In recent years, in business and in life, I’ve learned to release that overwhelm and say SCREW YOU to the what ifs! Did I become careless? Far from it. We always calculate the worst-case scenario before making a decsion. And guess what!? It’s usually not that bad of a situation 😉 We ask ourselves this very important question that we strongly suggest you adopt into your thinking and language…

What is it costing you to stay in the same place you’re at and not take the “risk” of moving forward?

It might just be hours. Maybe days or weeks. Possibly years? Are you willing be in the same spot you are now for weeks or years because fear is paralyzing you?!

No, thank you!

And let me tell you a little secret, I’m on the other side because I invested in myself. I’ve spent time, money, energy and brain power to get to this place. And now, I am free and confident and know that I can not just make it through anything, but CRUSH anything I put my mind to. And the same can happen for you!! That’s our dream! That you would face your fears, get unstuck and move QUICKLY in the direction of your desires for your business and life. The best thing you can do for yourself right now is rip off the Band-Aid!!

Start here:

Look fear in the face.

Fear will get you good, if you let it. Sometimes it’s so sneaky, you don’t even notice it lingering in all the nooks and crannies of your mind and heart. But just like any unnecessary evil, once you call it by its name, loud and proud, in daylight, in front of others, its grip lessens. If you are serious about living out your purpose and making the most of your life, you must gather your strength and give yourself a chance. Get real with yourself. Get honest. What’s stopping you from achieving your goals? What’s stopping your from living your dream? It’s a vulnerable place. But you must go there, so you can pinpoint what it is! That’s the hard part. Now comes the fun part. Put up your fists and jab that sucker right in the face. YES! Well, done. Relief and freedom are in sight.

Make faster decisions.

This step is easier than you think. All you have to do is STOP PROCRASTINATING! You might be thinking, “But these are big decisions, I’m not procrastinating!” The truth is hard to swallow sometimes. If you want something and you’re not taking the actions you need to take in order to get to that place, you are currently procrastinating. This applies to decisions about your website and branding. This applies to getting more clients. This applies to becoming a full-time creative entrepreneur. This applies to ANYTHING you desire. We guarantee that if you start making faster decisions and making them right (aka simply following through with your choices and actions), you’re going to get to where you want to be way quicker than if you continue to sit still, frozen, beating yourself up, mulling over the “Should I or shouldn’t I?” in your head.

Move forward, confidently.

The cool thing is that the more often you do steps one and two, the quicker you’ll get to the other side when new fears arise. Each decision and action step builds momentum and confidence. There is no room for second-guessing. Once that decision is made, turn on the turbo-booster, because it’s time to really get cranking. Limbo is debilitating. If you hang out in limbo, you’ll feel scared and overwhelmed. So, make those quick decisions and then start making the next moves! You deserve to live the life you feel called to live. Stand firm in your dreams. Believe in yourself. Believe in the decisions you make. Trust your gut and get out there! It’s time.