Fear can be so paralyzing

It literally feels like I had to draaaaaaaaggggg myself into 2017! Ever since the year started I’ve just not felt like “jumping into the swing of things” that’s obligatory with starting a new year. 

We all look forward to the start of a new year to start afresh, to start over, to give it another whirl, to hunker down and dust off…to begin, commence…to start! For some reason, for the first few days of the year, I’ve had no “start” in me. 

I didn’t want to get back into the swing of things. I wasn’t ready to start afresh and get the year going, especially when it came to work.  I told someone the other day that I felt afraid to start working, and I couldn’t figure out why. I was literally avoiding all work related emails or replying to them in the wee hours of the morning when it felt “safe.” I’ve ignored my planner nor have I written in my notebook for weeks. I got nervous at even the thought of writing, blogging and I’ve literally refused to open my website (until now). 

FEAR

Was it the fear of failure? Maybe. Was it the fear of not knowing where to start? Possibly. Was it the fear of not knowing which direction to go, which steps to take; the fear of now knowing if it would all work out? Could’ve been. Or maybe it’s the fear of not knowing if my 2017 blog posts would be as successful as the successful as the ones from last year. Or fear that the projects I embark on this year wouldn’t go so well. Might’ve been. 

But as fear, laziness and procrastination started to set in, the inevitable was happening: TIME WENT ON! LIFE WENT ON!

I soon pulled myself out of my funk and realised that it was January 11, just yesterday. Eleven days into the new year and here I was avoiding life…as it left me behind. I soon realised: 

[bctt tweet=”The fear of starting was preventing me from finishing” username=”iamianthia”]

Whatever it was that I wanted to get done, would never get done if I didn’t start!

The thing about it is this: I do have 2017 goals that I’ve set, there are things I want to do and accomplish, places I want to go this year. There are new territories I want to explore, new projects I want to undertake, new challenges I see myself taking on and beating, but for some reason…

[bctt tweet=”We allow the fear of starting the things we want to do, hinder us from doing anything at all” username=”iamianthia”]

So on this 12th day of January, I’ve finally opened my website and started writing again. Step 1.

Did you hear the angels sing just now? LOL

I’ve scheduled and have even had a few meetings to get the ball rolling on some new projects and partnerships. Step 2.

I’ve continued networking. Step 3.  And now, finally…

I’ve gotten my 2017 started!

Step 4. 

And just like that, I’ve started. I’ve taken four quick and easy steps to pull myself out of my rut. And you can do the same. Just take the first step.

Sometimes you just have to dive in.

Is fear keeping you back from taking the first steps you need to take to make the moves you need to make? How do you overcome it? Discuss below, leave your comments! Let’s chat!