This is Likely What's Holding You Back...

I've had a lot of people ask me how I managed to pursue my passion and not follow the traditional 9-5 job.

You're not alone. Most people I know have something deep inside they long to pursue but transitioning to it feels overwhelming or scary.

I started by spending time being brutally honest with myself and asking a few simple questions.

#1 What in my life do I feel BOTH excitement and absolute terror when I think about "taking the leap"

Each of us has something unique that comes naturally to us. It doesn't mean you're an expert (yet) but there's a common thread of ease when you engage in it.

More than likely it's something you've naturally been interested in since you were a child. We tend to "grow up" and let it go to the wayside.

My middle son, Josiah, looooooves animals, to the point where he'd rather spend time with animals than people. Because he loves animals, learning about them doesn't feel like a responsibility but rather an exciting adventure of discovery.

What is the thing that makes you feel most alive when you're doing it? Where do you lose track of time and feel refueled after doing it?

That's the fun part of the question...

Now think about what your life would look like if you fully dove into that passion and turned it into something tangible. (This is usually when the fear/terror sets in)

If you feel the excitement AND the fear then it's a good indicator you should be allocating more energy towards it.

#2 What am I actually afraid of?

Most of us let our fear masquerade as wisdom so we don't ever have to take action. It feels safer to justify the reasons why we should play it safe and stay small.

That comes at a high cost...

It means you reduce your life to the internal boundaries your fear has built as a safeguard for your life.

You're afraid of what society will think, or your family, or social media, or of failure, or of rejection, or of loneliness, or or or...

You let those fears dictate your life... which means you slowly trade life with meaning for one that is trapped in the rat race.

Being willing to be brutally honest with your fears allows you, to choose whether you're going to let those fears win, or start to take action to confront them.

#3 What's the worst thing that could happen?

In the Marines we would always say "hope for the best and plan for the worst". That can be a double-edged sword, but it did help me learn how to play out the worst-case scenarios.

Similar to spending time with your fear, being willing to play out the worst-case scenarios helps defuse the unknown. It allows you to adequately weigh the potential cost of pursuing your passions.

Now take it a step further...

What's the worst thing that could happen if you settle?

If you chose to let fear win...

If you're like me, those scenarios sting a hell of a lot more than being willing to take the leap.

#4 What can I do this week that would move me one step closer to my passions?

Inaction is the easiest way to let fear win and lead to life-long regret. That said, sometimes the transition feels so big that we don't know where to take the first step.

More than likely you're not going to quit your job this week, but if you are willing to keep your passion in front of you and take consistent steps towards it you'll be amazed at where you find yourself in 5-10 years.

Most of us don't take the time to flush out what is subconsciously driving our actions on a daily basis.

When you get clear on what's driving your inner world you're able to take action and create sustainable change.

It's not something you can or should do alone...

This is why I created Jumpstart Your Life.

It's a simple but profound approach to better understanding what drives you and has practical steps to guide you into your passions and strength.

There's plenty to be afraid of...

The question you have to ask yourself is, are you going to let it be the thing that robs you of the life you ultimately want to live?