Comfort zones are great places they are like that old worn sweatshirt that you just cant’ seem to get rid of because it feels to damn good. That is how we are with our lives. We go to the same stores, do the same workouts, eat the same foods all because we familiar with them. It’s the brave few who want to unleash the powerful women they exist deep down inside of you.

Few people ever venture outside of their comfort zone and try something new, handle new, etc. for a few reasons.
🔶 fear they suck, they won’t be perfect.
🔶 embarrassment or pride because other people may see you struggle trying to make this change.
🔶 fear ridicule as they struggle with this new change

These fears are strong; it’s our minds trying to keep us safe. Fear has two meaning False Evidence Appearing Real or Face Everything And Rise.
The pull to achieving the greatness you know that is inside of you needs to be greater than your fear of sucking, pride and ridicule so you can rise to new challenges and be that strong powerful women you know is hiding inside of you.

Here are some ways I know how to face your fears

1️⃣ Take a deep breath and say you aren’t going to do it even if you aren’t perfect. You will just do your best.
2️⃣ Set a goal for your new skill. I’m a big fan of setting goals for 30, 60 and 90 days. It could be that for the next 30 days you are going to drink 1 more glass of water each day till you reach 1 gallon of water. In 60 days you will be able to do 10 pushups from your toes In 90 days you will have a bedtime ritual so that you aren’t dragging ass and living on caffeine and sugar.
3️⃣ Make it a game. I like to call it don’t break the streak. When Jerry Seinfeld first started out he challenged himself to write a joke everyday.
I bought a calendar and a red marker and put the red X everyday he wrote a joke. It became a game to not break the streak. Do the same thing.

At the end of the day I challenge you to be willing to overcome the fear and challenge yourself with new tasks and challenges that get you out of your “comfort zone,” you can grow as an individual and achieve the greatness you are capable and deserve to achieve.

The post Don’t Let Fear Stop You From Achieving Greatness appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

I crave it. Then my ego pipes up and says hey wouldn’t life be so much easier if just stayed where you are. My subconscious is trying to keep me safe, new things are unknown and I may get hurt and my ego wants me to stay safe.

Lean in a let me tell you a little secret, there will always obstacles when you try to make a forward. Some of the obstacles are pretty easy to figure out. Others may not be as obvious to us.

When fear strikes it really easy to come up with excuses – anything really, so that you don’t have to face the facts and admit that it’s actually fear that’s holding you back.

Most of us have the same common fears. The main fear that keeps people stuck including me is feeling like you don’t have time to reach for your dreams, life changes, success or whatever it is that you want. Any feel like this. We have two reactions when this happens we shrink and tell ourselves it was not worth it OR we stress out about how to force it to happen.

I’m Too Busy

You may be taking the “motions” but it’s really it’s a smokescreen for staying in place. You could be going to the gym, posting it on Facebook and then having a glass or two of wine very night or half some halo top every night. Telling yourself that studies have shown that red wine is good for you and it’s protein ice cream so it’s protein right!!

Everyone can find time to take a few small steps toward a dream. Changing these habits doesn’t have to happen overnight, it can be start with every other day and slowly pull it out if cold turkey is to much for you.

Have you told yourself that you are “too busy” to get started, yeah me too!! It’s just a matter of prioritizing where you do spend your time. This excuse is often also feeling that you’re so busy, you just can’t add one more thing to your plate.

Raise your hand; shake your head if you’ve said this. “I don’t know enough”. My favorite quote by Arthur Ashe, to achieve great things you must start where you are, use what you have and do what you can. The key here is to know where you want to go and even if you only know the 1^st step you are going to take. Guess what you know enough! Fear can make us feel like we need to read every book under the sun, watch every Facebook live and then listen to every guru that has ever spoken on this topic. NOPE – fall back to the Arthur Ashe quote focus where you are and the next piece.

It’s Not The Right Time

AHHH, it’s not the right time!! Guess what it will never be the right time; there will always be something. If you wait for the right time, you’ll never make a move. I got news for you no one ever manages to find the right time. Let me in on a little secret, all you have is the time you’re currently in. The best time to move forward is the time you have.

My Friends and Family Aren’t Supportive

“I’d really like to go for it, but my friends, family or spouse thinks it’s a bad idea. They like me the way I am.” This excuse is used to justify holding back out of fear of failure. It’s easier to pass the buck and make it someone else fault for use not going for our dreams.

I Haven’t Found The Right Thing!

The right healthy living program isn’t going to drop on your lap and wiggle. You need to actively seek with you are looking for. There is no “right plan” just like there no right job or romantic partner. To get to the right plan takes a little work. You may need to kiss a few frogs; maybe you need to take a little from each plan you work to find something that will work for you!

Living healthy is just like any opportunity they don’t always jump out at you when you’re not taking action.

I Don’t Know If I Can

This is the fear of certainty. This excuse hides the fear that everything won’t work out. Guess what, not everything works out all of the time. If it did, this would be a perfect world.

If we don’t move forward toward our dreams, you will never know if yours could have worked out. Is the fear of time, money, lack of experience, skills, lack of support, network or any other of the hundreds of excuses people use be the reason that your dream dies before it gets a chance to be realized.

Are you ready to move forward”

One of the biggest fears I hear all the time is summer. Summer for some reason brings up fears that you are unable have fun while maintaining your healthy lifestyle. I’m hear to tell you that it’s possible to keep your waistline on track AND have fun!!  Grab your guilt free summer guide, where I help you map out a fun summer without being the girl carrying a bottle of water and a bag of baby carrots.

The post What Hidden Fears Are Holding You Back appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

You can adopt a combination of physical and mental fitness programs to silence fear and to empower you to take you to a new level. You can become fit, fast and fearless as you improve your body’s strength and fortify your mind against invasions of self doubt.

Don’t mistake strong people as those who never feel fear. They do. There’s just a difference in how they react to it. Instead of running, or burying their head in the sand as many of us do, they stand and fight – turning their fear into a powerful weapon against obstacles that stand in their way.

What happens when you feel fearful’ You have a physical reaction. Can you name it for yourself’ It might include a nauseous feeling in the pit of your stomach, a weakening of your arms and legs, and maybe even a bit of lightheadedness.

You can honor the reaction your body is giving you – it’s actually being kind trying to warn you that something you dislike is taking place. But then you have to thank it for showing up and advise your fears to sit back and watch you take control. A coach I’ve worked with in the past used to say “lean into your fear”.  It’s our fears that are indicators for something that we need to do. Now if you feel that someone is chasing you, don’t lean into that, but you know the type of fear that I’m talking about. It’s the fear of taking a big step in a direction that may get something that you really want. It could be running a marathon, doing a Spartan type race or going for a promotion at work or attempting start a new business or anything that you feel draw to do.

What are you scared of in life’ Is it all of the unknown circumstances – the “what ifs'” that haunt your world’ If this is a fear, then you can work on mindset exercises that help you quiet uncertainty and allow life to take its course because you know you can handle whatever may happen.

Is it something physical that frightens you’ Maybe you had a run-in with a mean dog, or you got out of an abusive relationship. You can empower yourself with self defense training like martial arts and strength building exercises that boost your confidence in being able to handle these situations.

Sometimes people aren’t really sure of what they’re afraid of – they just know they experience on-going anxiety (sometimes over things like crossing a bridge or being in a place around too many people).

If this describes you, then you can tap into some training that will give you back control over your life – so that you refuse to allow a situation to dictate to you how you will feel or react any longer.

The post Allow Training to Eliminate Your Fears appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.