1. There is no such thing as 100% confidence.
In my world, I want to know how everything is going to work out at the time of taking the first step. I’ve had to change my thinking on this. If you’ve done the legwork and the door is open, it’s probably time to walk through the door. Although the effort and preparation may belong to us, the outcome does not. If the arrows are pointing in the same direction, just start walking.
2. All good things require some risk.
Stepping into your calling is not safe. Safe is where you are right now. As long as your dreams stay dormant and your life risk free, you won’t have the thrill of knowing what you are capable of. You won’t know how much the world needs to see your dream in motion. Acknowledge upfront that risk will be part of your journey. It may just be the motivation that keeps you moving and growing towards your calling.
3. A little nausea goes a long way.
My brother who has taken several positive career risks says, “Feeling like you’re going to throw up is a sign you’re on the right path.” Often, the most meaningful decisions we make cause some internal ruckus. If we seek to stay continuously calm, we won’t have the adrenaline we need at just the right time. When you are stepping out, take the internal “crazy” you are feeling as a sign of the importance of what you are stepping into.
4. Bring a friend who believes in you.
In our highly individualistic, competitive world, it’s easy to undervalue our need for others to walk with us on our personal journeys. We need encouragement from trusted friends and family. We need advice when deciding next steps. We need a springboard for our thoughts and ideas. If we are functioning from a place where we believe that this world has space for all of our gifts and talents, we will let people in.
5. Don’t avoid the F word.
The only way to improve and grow is to try and try again. I personally hope that my failures are on a small scale, but we will all face them when we try new things. Don’t allow your fear of failure to immobilize you. Simply accept that failures will happen. If you bring a friend with you, you won’t have to recover and learn from failure alone. That same person or community will be there to help you process and gain confidence to keep stepping out and into your calling.
