Can you recall a time in your life when you had a gut instinct that you needed or wanted to do something new, but you felt hesitant?
Taking a leap of faith, getting outside your comfort zone, and pushing yourself to greatness sometimes comes with uncertainty or risk.
Maybe you were worried that your gut instinct might be wrong, or maybe you were scared of the unknown.
I know I certainly have been.
Whatever it was that held you back, think about why you were so hesitant. These critical (and scary) moments are pivot points in your life.
When I first decided to make a big move to a new city, we were renting a house in a great location and our landlord put the home on the market. We were incredibly nervous that our house would sell before we found another home to rent or buy and we also didn’t know if we could even purchase a home because we were far from ready and had just graduated college!
Needless to say, we were very fearful, but thankfully, our fear did not stop us from applying for a home loan, because we ended up finding the perfect house.
There are times in our lives when our inner voice is asking us to make change happen, and if we do, then our lives can elevate to the next level. But fear often rears up so intensely that it threatens to kill that possibility.
Afterall, you are taking a leap of faith and it is hard to trust what you do not know or see. But, when you go for it, your life can potentially change so much for the better, so we need to find ways to make taking a leap of faith easier.
If I would have listened to my inner fear of the potential of being turned down (the loan), not liking my new location or having everything in the world go wrong before/during/after the move, I would not be where I am today.
I am incredibly grateful that we decided to push past the inner voice telling us to settle. It can be very hard to do in the moment, but the end result is always worth the feelings of being scared and uncomfortable.
Here are some tips for just that.
1. Focus on the good.
When you take a leap of faith, you could focus on all of the things that could go wrong. Alternatively, you could choose to focus on the good. If you are moving to a new city, you could worry about hating the people, the food, and the places around the town. Or, you could think about all of the new adventures that will present themselves.
Trust me – I was so concerned that we were moving too far north when we finally found a home to buy. I thought that our new house would be far away from everything that I loved, but I was so wrong. I wish I would have just enjoyed the moment(s) of finding the perfect home, instead of pointing out everything that could potentially be wrong with it.
Another good thing is by being so grateful that you have an opportunity to do more with your life. SO many people are stuck in a rut and it is hard to get out. If you are taking a leap of faith, you are taking charge of your life! Take a few moments every day to really savor what makes you happy and give thanks for it. When you create feelings of gratitude, you change the feeling in your heart. Just think what effect having a heart bursting with gratitude can have on your mind and your body.
2. Get the help, resources and support you need.
Big life transitions take HELP.
It’s ok to ask questions, do a little extra research and find the solutions that work best for you.
Remember that.
Especially when it comes to moving. This can sometimes be in the form of friends or family, but I like to joke that after the age of 25 the promise of bud light and free pizza isn’t enough to ask your buddies to risk throwing out their back lifting a dresser.
Get movers!
There are people and companies that can help make the transition so much easier. When we had to close quickly due to our rental home being sold, I was so worried about doing it all myself. The good news? We didn’t have to – and you do not have to either.
Personally, we used All in One Moving & Storage, Inc., a local New Jersey-based moving company. They are NJ last minute movers, so when my move came extremely fast, they were able to provide their services, which is pretty rare for a moving company since they usually book up at least 30 days in advance. They had great reviews and a wide range of moving services. Plus, we were thrilled to take some of the headache and stress off of moving off of our shoulders.
Doing it yourself during a huge life transition makes it that much harder to get out of your comfort zone. Hire people to help yourself along the way!
3. Remind yourself that it’s okay to be uncomfortable.
We humans are creatures of habit. We find something that works, and then, in an effort to stay comfortable, we stick with that until it breaks.
As Robin Williams once said: “Change is not popular; we are creatures of habit as human beings. But if you continue the way it was, there will be no “is.”
Being comfortable feels nice, but focus on how you actually feel deep down. Are you 100% satisfied and happy? If you are considering a big move or a leap of faith, there’s a good change you areen’t deeply satisfied with how your life is at the current moment.
Looking back, I realized that I was missing out on so much when we were renting our home. I knew for a long time that I wanted something more, and confronting that made it so much easier to committ to the change.
This is when you need to acknowledge that it is okay to feel uncomfortable. Being comfortable does not allow you to reach new heights and really LIVE.
Does it feel great at first? Definitely not. Is it scary? Yes.
But sometimes, we have to push past the fear to find greatness.
But, it is SO worth it when you become deeply satisfied and happy with your home and life.