Do you have a dream? Is there something you want for yourself? Maybe you have even played with setting a goal.

Now answer this question: what is holding you back?

When we are contemplating big change – going after something that feels impossible – it’s typical to feel some fear. What if we fail? What if we can’t make it happen?

Fear paralyzes us. Most of us see fear as a RED STOP LIGHT.  It means danger. It means you are taking risks and something terrible could happen.

But what I want to offer you is that fear could be the opposite of “stop.” What if fear is truly a green light? That if it means you are on the right track? Stick with me and I will show you how fear is no longer serving us and is the reason so many of us don’t go after our dreams.

Let’s use the example that you want to reverse your Type 2 Diabetes and get off your medications – totally possible for you. But your brain wants to offer you the following reasons why this is a terrible idea:

1. I don’t know how to reverse Type 2 Diabetes.
2. I’ve never done this before.
3. I have never been able to stick to diet changes in my past.
4. It probably won’t work, so I shouldn’t even try.

The last one is a killer. Here is where most of us fail. We fail here because we don’t even try. We fail ahead of time.

Understandably, it’s scary to commit to big changes. To set out on your own to achieve something amazing. But I want to ask you WHY? Why is it scary? What is the worst thing that could happen? That you fail?

So many people are afraid to set a goal because they don’t want to experience disappointment, shame, or sadness. So they keep their expectations low to avoid the possibility of failure. They stay in their comfort zone. They just keep replaying the same episode of their lives over and over. It gets to be mundane. It can even feel like they are not even alive anymore.

So what if you fail? You get to decide what is failure. And you get to decide what to make it mean about yourself. Let’s look at an example to make this clearer.

So, let’s say I decide I am determined to get my A1c to goal before my next appointment. I’m motivated. I have a plan. I am going to take my meds every day. I’m going to check my blood sugars every morning and every night before bedtime. And I’m going to cut out the cereal for breakfast and start having eggs or just skip it altogether when I’m not hungry.

Three months go by before my next doctor’s visit. I’ve done really well sticking to my plan for the most part. My numbers are still up and down, but overall, they’re better than they were before my last A1c of 9.5%. My A1c goal is <7%, and I’m really hoping I come in at goal.

The verdict is in. My A1c is 7.9%.

Now – I get to decide whether or not I’m going to call that a failure. I can look at that number and say I missed the mark. That I didn’t do enough. That nothing I do matters and that it’s just too hard. I feel defeated, disappointed, hopeless in this thinking.

OR, I can decide to see this as a partial win. I brought my A1c down almost 2 points with some simple changes. When I get focused and intentional, I get results. That I’m not far from my goal and that it’s totally within reach. I feel encouraged, inspired, and hopeful in this thinking.

Do you see how the way you interpret your “failure” is completely within your control? In fact, you can fail to interpret it as a failure! You can decide to interpret it as a learning experience – as the step you had to go through to find the solution. GAMECHANGER.

Let’s take this to the next level. Another obstacle that many of us face is that when we fail, we give ourselves a real mental beating. We degrade ourselves by making our failure mean that we aren’t good enough. That we deserve to suffer. That we disgust ourselves.

What if you recognized that this is what is keeping you from taking action toward your dream? You could make an agreement with yourself THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO FAIL MANY TIMES TO REACH YOUR GOAL because you will have your own back. You’re going to focus on what you learned instead of quitting. You decide to have some compassion for yourself as you figure this out.

When you know going into a new plan that you’re willing to fail because you are going to take care of yourself, you’re so much less afraid of failure.

Having a life coach brings all this to the surface. You get to see what is stopping you from taking action. You find out how your thinking is what you need to overcome to achieve your dreams. Even just a brief conversation with me can reveal a major roadblock that has been keeping you stuck. And then we can get to work by applying the tools that reverse Type 2 Diabetes so you can look forward to a healthy future. Find me at www.AFutureByDesign.com to schedule a FREE mini session.