Life is back On – What Now?

7 Steps to overcome fear & anxiety that can keep us paralyzed

Life is back ON, what now? If you have been feeling overwhelmed, anxious or uncertain, you are not alone. After being safe at home for over 2 years, now we have to go outside and work in the office, etc. It can be daunting.

Let me tell you a story about my return to life being back ON.

For the first time in 10 years, I did not set any goals in January. Why? I had COVID for the 3^rd time, and I simply didn’t have the energy.

I told myself I’d do my big business evaluation/ goal setting as soon as I got better & had more energy (which wasn’t until end of February), but I JUST DIDN’T DO IT. I made all kinds of excuses, procrastinated, but the bottom line was, I didn’t do it because I did not feel like it. It is painful to admit.

And in the back of my mind, I wondered if we’d ever open again. I guess I kinda lost hope for a minute! Did any of you feel the same way?

How are you handling the pressure of life being back ON?

If you’re feeling a bit anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck, this article will help you.

I have 7 tips for you to overcome the fear, anxiety and uncertainty that can keep us paralyzed.

There are some things you can do to make things better. Any good coach knows, we start where you are, take stock and ask what CAN you do? And we also ask: How can we make this better?

I admit, I experienced some anxiety and self-doubt around coming back on board into regular life after being sick and quite isolated for 5 ½ weeks. And I’m normally a confident person, but I needed some help.

That brings me to the real meat of this article. The steps that will help you when you feel stuck, not sure what to do next, or if you are procrastinating the next step in a big goal, etc.

7 Ways to Get Un-stuck

How to overcome the fear & uncertainty which hold you back

1. Identify what is holding you back; where are you stuck? 

Look fear in the face and dive deep to the root of your challenge. This is the taking stock step. Time for a little analysis, some thinking to find out the real reason for your fear or anxiety. This may be a bit challenging, don’t rush it, but set aside some time to think, write about or even talk about your holdup.

2. Identify and write down some resources that will help you.

Some ideas include: people on your “team” like an encouraging friend, coach, mentor, spouse, or sibling. You can include other resources like time management, money. 

3. List some steps to get un-stuck.

This is the brainstorming part of the process. Have you been stuck before? How did you manage to get “unstuck” in the past? What or who helped you?

4. Make the first step ridiculously easy

Make it so easy that you know you WILL do it. Not that you can do it, that you WILL do it. Even as simple as a few minutes of online research, making one phone call to get the ball rolling, and so on.

5. Take one step at a time

Don’t look at the whole picture, that may overwhelm you if you’re stuck. Instead, just concentrate on the next step for now, or a few small next steps that don’t seem too difficult. When you get to that next step, determine the direction to take from there.

6. Reflect and re-evaluate your plan or goal every 30 to 90 days.

This is a sprint, not a marathon! It is a good time to make a plan of attack, once you have gained some momentum by taking your first several steps.

7. Make progress.

Don’t forget to celebrate at your milestones and when you accomplish your goal or objective! Sometimes this can be quite motivating during the work part of the process, thinking about the reward or payoff of your accomplishment.

Are you wondering what happened with my story?  (Not setting any goals in January because I didn’t feel like it.)

I reached out to my husband, who really could be a business coach instead of an author. And of course, I called friends and my business coach as well. It all contributed to my well-being, and I felt grateful.

But it didn’t happen overnight; it was a process, not an event.

Frank and I scheduled our yearly big vision lunch, which we held in April instead of January. We made some good plans for the rest of 2022 and it re-energized me big time.

I’d like to ask you an important question.

Now that life is back ON, what are you going to do to create the change you want to see in your life?

I challenge you to identify one roadblock or pain point in your life or your business, then follow the seven steps above to get un-stuck!

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Is time management the resource you need to get unstuck?

I invite you to reach for your goals by talking to me about time coaching. Why do it alone? Coaching will both motivate you and help you reach your goals much faster. It works!

To learn more, click here.  

Be productive without feeling like the proverbial hamster on a never-ending wheel!