Just because it’s scary, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.

How many “scary” things have you talked yourself out of? It is only after having children that I have been less willing to make bigger mistakes. Truth be told, before I had children I was super adventurous. Last minute trip to the beach? No problem. Weekend away with girlfriends, why not? Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic for 2 years? Sign me up!

Now I am responsible for others (2 kids to be exact) and I’m a lot less willing to put them in a position of not having financial, physical, or mental stability because of a bad decision I made. AND I wanted to have kids that had a role model of someone who believes in themselves and takes risks.

So how can you do both?

I’m not an expert, but I am figuring it out as I go. The first decision that I made that scared the shit out of me was to leave my W-2 job. My kids very much depended on me. I left the health insurance, paid days off, and stability of accruing retirement. I was scared to death. What if I left and lost all of my clients? What if I wasn’t able to keep my business going? The real work came when I actually left the job. It took me a while for my nervous system to calm down and realize that it was going to work because I’m a badass and will make sure it does!

That same badass voice was present pre-kids and I am happy to report I take more risks that I used to. And it seems that when I feel scared, it’s actually excitement with no place to go. I’m scared it won’t work but what if it does? I was willing to find out.

Owning a business is a labor of love. You get to decide how it works. The second you stop trying to stifle your dreams, it seems the red carpet rolls out for them. I’ve seen it time and time again. I even see this in a lot of my psychotherapy practice and business besties. The risk is worth the reward.

I find that the more decisions I make from a place of abundance instead of scarcity, the more likely it is to take off. Honestly, my confidence hasn’t always matched up to my ambition but it almost always does at some point. I am a huge fan of coffee. I want my cold brew or latte a couple of days every week. They are expensive, in case you haven’t had one in a while. I could definitely make my own at home and save money, but there is something so sexy to me about holding the to-go cup in my hand and breathing in the smells of freshly brewed coffee that was made FOR ME. So, I find the way to make the money to be able to have it instead of trying to find a way to cut my addiction out of my budget.

Can you do this too? What would you keep in your life that makes you happy, even if it means finding a way to make it happen? Changing hours in your practice that work better for you? Do it. I used to see people starting at 7 AM! I cannot believe I did that looking back on it now. I love to take my time and not be running to start at 7AM. Guess what? All of my 7am clients happily moved to another slot. It was not as big of a deal as I made it in my mind. And having that experience has led to me making other more risky, bigger decisions in my practice too.

What change can you make this week for your wellbeing or happiness with your life and your business? I encourage you to step out and make one!