Change can sometimes feel quite scary. Doing something new or different – particularly when you’re not sure what the outcome is going to be – can be daunting.

Sticking with what we know feels safe. And wanting to keep ourselves safe is a very natural – and ancient – response.

When faced with an opportunity to make a change, I often find my clients putting barriers up for themselves – justifying why they can’t possibly make a decision, make a change, take control of a situation. I often hear:
“It’s not a good time right now…”
“I just need to do this other thing first…”
“I just need to wait for…”

Sound familiar?

The problem is, sticking with what we know means nothing changes. We miss opportunities to try something new – and potentially life-changing. Or we even just missing an opportunity to learn something new about ourselves.

In these situations, I ask my clients, “What’s stopping you?” – or even, “What’s really stopping you?”

When they spend some time thinking about this question, and being honest with themselves, my clients almost always admit that there isn’t anything insurmountable stopping them. That they are putting up perceived barriers for themselves because they are simply anxious about not knowing what the outcome might be. When they realise this, my client’s next response is usually: “But what if I fail? What if it goes wrong?” to which I reply: “But what if it doesn’t?”.

You don’t know until you give it a go.

So, if you’ve been putting something off or – let’s be honest, here! – creating little excuses for yourself to avoid putting yourself out there and trying something new, ask yourself “What’s stopping me?”

Be honest with yourself about the answer. And then take the next step. Who knows where it might lead?