Feeling Fear Doesn’t Mean You’re Off Track: It Means You’re Growing
Fear often disguises itself as logic, keeping us from meaningful growth. Embracing fear can be a sign you're on the right path.
I remember hovering over my LinkedIn profile, staring at the words “Life Coach.” My cursor blinked, daring me to hit save.
But my mind was racing:
🔹 What if people see me as less credible?
🔹 What if I’m not taken as seriously in commercial spaces?
🔹 What if this doesn’t work?
For years, I had leaned into coaching as a leadership style. I loved it. But calling myself a Life Coach? That felt...risky. Would people still see me as a commercially credible professional? Would they assume I was no longer strategic, analytical, or business-minded?
Even as I trained in a 10-month, immersive coaching programme, I told myself it was just to sharpen my leadership skills. I never imagined I’d turn it into a business. But then, something shifted.
The Moment of Realisation
One day, after finishing a coaching session, I felt an unmistakable high. The kind that comes when you're doing something deeply meaningful. The conversation had been challenging, layered—but by the end, my client had shifted. I could hear the clarity in their voice, see the possibility opening up for them.
And in that moment, I thought:
"This is it. This is the kind of work that fills me up. What if I’m actually meant to do this?"
For the first time, I let myself imagine it—not as a side skill, not as something I was ‘dabbling in,’ but as a path I was built for.
That’s when the real resistance kicked in.
When Fear Masquerades as Logic
I spent months wrestling with doubts. Would this choice change how people perceived me? The fear disguised itself as logic: “Shouldn’t I wait until I’m more prepared?”
I see this all the time in high-achievers: We don’t just experience fear—we intellectualise it. We turn it into rational-sounding reasons to stay where we are.
Life Is a Startup & Growth Happens in Iterations
But here’s the thing:
🚀 Life is a startup. We don’t need to have everything perfectly figured out before we begin. I certainly didn’t. But I trusted myself, and the iterative process, as it unfolded.
I reminded myself:
✔ I am a credible and empathetic professional.
✔ I don’t need all the answers—I can build the right support around me.
✔ I can be many things. A strategic leader and a coach. Analytical and intuitive.
✔ Fear doesn’t mean stop. It means I’m stepping into something important.
The Many Faces of Fear and Resistance
Fear and resistance don’t always look like fear. Sometimes, they show up as:
Procrastination (“I’ll do this when I’m more ready”)
Overthinking (“I need to map out everything first”)
Playing small (“What if I just stay where I am—it’s comfortable enough”)
Paralysis in the face of change (“What if I disrupt the stability I’ve worked so hard to build?”)
These are not signs that we’re on the wrong path. They’re signs that we’re standing at the edge of something meaningful.
What If It Does Work?
When the thought “What if this doesn’t work?” crept in, I asked myself:
“But… what if it does?”
What if stepping into this work could bring me more fulfilment than I’d ever experienced?
What if fear wasn’t a warning to turn back, but proof that I was growing?
What if the discomfort meant I was exactly where I needed to be?
I decided to trust that thought.
I launched my coaching practice. I put myself out there, even when it felt deeply uncomfortable. And every time I work with a client, I’m reminded exactly why I chose this path.
If fear is showing up for you right now, ask yourself this:
💡 What if fear isn’t holding you back—but pointing you forward?
#OvercomingFear #MindsetMatters #GrowthMindset
