AKA… My Challenge Kick-off Confession

stormIt’s 6 am on the morning before we kick-off the 30-Day Big Finish Challenge and I’m leaning into my morning practice. It’s dark outside, the candles are lit, Liquid Mind is playing on the Bose and I’ve got my journal in hand.

I want to make sense of what I’m feeling this morning – a mixture of “Holy shit, what have I committed to?” and “Yay, this is going to be fun!”

The reality of what I’ve promised sets in… to do a daily blog, video or live Zoom chat for 30 Days, on the topic of how to finish out 2016 in a really big way. We’re expecting a few thousand to join us, so it’s a pretty huge undertaking in and of itself.  But that’s not all we’re taking on in October. It’s also the month we are launching the new 3.0 version of our assessment software, as well as starting the next Platinum Mastermind group. It all seems daunting in these early morning hours and my inner critic starts to rage. “What in the hell were you thinking, Jane?” she asks.

What was I thinking when I told my team we would be doing a 30-Day Challenge in October in addition to everything else?  Why pack so much into one month?

I smile as I sit with this question, remembering a morning a few weeks ago, that was the catalyst for my decision. I was feeling especially wobbly and, as directed by my coach, was getting all my feeling out of my head and into my journal to better understand them.  You see, over the past nine months my team and I have worked really hard to get to where we are today. I have private coaching clients that I love, our two technology tools are stellar, our level of service is through the roof and my team is talented and on task. We are positioned for massive expansion and, if we play our cards right, we can hit the 1 million mark with this new company in our first six months. So it makes sense that I was feeling overwhelmed, but I was curious about the fear.

That morning, as I typically do, I wrote a question at the top of a page in my journal.  I’ve learned that when I do this it’s best not to force the answer but rather let the answer reveal itself.

What came next was a dialogue between that small, scared part of me and the bold, courageous part.

Side note… in keeping with my promise to be transparent and vulnerable throughout this challenge, I’ve decided to let you in on my process of using “curiosity” to move from fear and doubt, into a place of feeling strong, clear and empowered to take action.  It’s a process I’ve used to get my Masters in business, start my first company and take it to 2.5 million, and the same process I used to start six more businesses that have provided my family with a beautiful lifestyle these past three decades.

Here’s the question I wrote in my journal…

fishQ: “OK, what are you afraid of?”
A: “I’m afraid that if we really step out and play a much bigger game, bad things will happen.”
Q: “What bad things? This is exactly what we’ve been working toward. We are finally here.”
A: “I know. It’s exciting but it’s also really scary. When we step out all sorts of things can happen.”

And so it went, that Saturday morning, as I continued to get curious about the fear, self-doubt and worry that was keeping me from stepping into the very thing I had been working toward.

I wrote another question…  “What’s really holding me back from playing a bigger game?”

Here’s what came up…

  • I’m uncomfortable being in the spotlight and especially on camera
  • I’m worried we won’t hit our numbers for the Smart Biz Quiz launch
  • When I pack a lot into my life and business, self-care goes out the window
  • I’m worried that I will be judged by others – especially my peers
  • I’m afraid people won’t opt-in, comment or show up for the live Zoom chats
  • My team wants me to do Facebook Live and I’ve got some judgment around it
  • It’s hard to ask others for help. (For example “Will you tell your friends or email your list?”)
  • I’m worried I won’t be the leader my team needs me to be to pull this off

Yowzaa! There it is. All my big, beautiful Inner Game Stuff here for the world to see and judge.  But I’m okay with that because I know that in order for me to show you how I move from fear into a place of courageous action, you need to see what I’m actually moving through.

That Saturday morning I remember looking at the list and realizing that these fears were nothing more than thoughts in my head.

Some were very real for me and some were imagined and untrue, but all were keeping me from stepping into the next evolution of who I was being called to be.

Looking for inspiration, I turned to a page in my journal where I list some of my favorite quotes. This one jumped out at me…

“Forget safety. Live where you fear to live.
Destroy your reputation. Be notorious.” ~Rumi.

Even today, recounting that morning experience for you, I feel a surge of courage run through me as I read this quote.  So, leaning into Rumi’s words, I asked a better question.

“How can I play a bigger game and still feel safe?”

Three answers revealed themselves:

Answer #1: Don’t dumb down your goals Jane, simply surround yourself with more support.
Got it! I’ve since added two team members, expanded the roles of existing team members and asked my friend and life coach, John Dulworth to co-host the Big Finish Challenge with me. Done!

Answer #2: Use PDA (Public Display of Accountability) to hold yourself to a higher standard.
Interesting! I then remembered how powerfully I showed up last December when I conducted the Finish Strong Challenge. I kicked ass in all areas of my life, knowing I was leading by example. So, in addition to wanting to do something cool for my tribe, this challenge is also very much for me. ;0)

Answer #3: Do the thing you fear the most to live the life you truly want.
Yikes! This was the kicker that told me I needed to move beyond my discomfort and film the videos, host the live chats, ask others for support and play more in social media.

In short, I need to get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable knowing it is how I’ve accomplished every major milestone in my life.

It’s also what I am constantly nudging my private clients to do so it only seems fair.

So there you have it… my Challenge Kick-off Confession to set the tone of transparency, honesty, and vulnerability.

I hope this helps you see that we are no different, you and me and that with the right tools and support you can move through any of the challenges you may be facing in your life and business right now.

My question for you is… are you ready for something bigger, more meaningful and more aligned with what you want for your life and business?  Are you willing to spend just a few minutes each day with John and me, to step into what’s waiting for you? Will you do as Rumi suggests…  forget safety, live where you fear to live, destroy your reputation and be notorious?

big finish challenge

If yes, click here to join me and John for the Big Finish Challenge and lock arms with a group of really cool people who have committed to end 2016 in a really big and beautiful way.

C’mon, it will be a blast!

Much Love, Jane

PS. I am dying to know what you think about this… please post below.