Happy Friday!

My wife is returning to work after a 10-year break. She is a natural worrier and planner, so the task of getting a job was not easy for her mentally. Practically speaking, she got the first job she applied for.

Her worry got bad enough that the day before the deadline to apply, she had me stay up with her until midnight, working on her application. My contribution was to help with her resume and a few other technical bits, along with reassuring her.

The anxiety and worry about what might happen kept her from making much progress until she was cornered.

I'm known for how unflappable I am in a lot of areas of my life, but not all, and I bumped into one recently, too. I found myself worried and embarrassed about something I wanted to do: Publish some things in the tabletop role-playing game community.

It started with a post by someone who said they woke up early and put together and published a small "zine." I was awe-struck by this. Here I am creating a million tasks and obstacles to do anything, and this person just got up and created something from nothing in the two hours before the sun came up!

That's when my unflappable side kicked in. "You can publish something," it said. It also said, "Stop worrying about what you don't know or can't do."

So I asked for some advice, and about 3 hours later, I hit publish.

That immediately led to someone asking if I was going to enter into a challenge to produce an entire game that fits on one piece of paper.

My unflappable side was at the helm now and said, "Well, why not?"

The next day, I published my first draft. Two days after that, people are asking to play with me.

Now, these are two little stories from me and my family about the same thing. Our worry, fear, and anxiety keep us from taking the steps that we need to or that can get us somewhere we desire.

There are always risks. I've found that the trick is to ask, "Can I live with it?" If you can, take the step. You'll find that the voice in your head is more interested in you never changing than you becoming who you could be.

Sincerely,

Ryan

PS: The challenge to take the next step happens in organizations, too. If you'd like some help or advice on taking the next step, schedule a call!