Hard truth: The feeling of ‘readiness’ that you may be waiting for isn’t coming

At least it is not coming on its own. There is no magic arrival point where you will feel confident in your skills as a parent coach, ready to fully put yourself out in the world and build the business of your dreams. There is no internal rush of confidence and self-assuredness that comes before you take steps towards growing your business. 

While that sounds like very bad news, stay with me. Because it’s actually very good news. It may be just the news you didn’t know you were waiting for.

Here’s why: If you are waiting to feel ready before you take action, you may wrongly assume that your lack of feeling ready is an accurate reflection of reality. 

The truth is that you will feel ready as you do things. You become ready by doing. The more you stretch the edges of your comfort zone, the more ready you will feel. As time goes on, what felt like a huge stretch will soon feel like old hat. 

So if you are having a hard time moving forward in any area of growing your business, ask yourself if you’re waiting to feel ready. If you are, that’s good information to have. There is no shame in it. Be gentle with yourself. Now is not the time to pile on a layer of self-blame. 

Use this powerful realization instead to support yourself. Allow yourself to feel relieved that you didn’t accidentally stop yourself from succeeding because you were waiting for a feeling.

Now that you know the truth, you get to make a plan and take action. Taking incremental steps, even small ones, will help you get used to being on your growth edge and allow you (and your nervous system) time to get acclimatized to taking risks and trying new things.

But what if you don’t succeed immediately? That obviously means you weren’t actually ready, right? 

Incorrect. What it means is that you are human. More than that, it means you are a business owner. Congratulations! 

In business (and really in life) it’s not a matter of ‘if’ things don’t go according to plan, it’s a matter of ‘when.’ So instead of hoping for the impossible, a bump-free ride, set your sights instead on a good set of shocks! There is no risk-free way to truly say yes to growing your parent coaching business. People are going to say no, talks or workshops are sometimes not going to go the way you want them to. That’s just what happens sometimes. It’s not personal.

The difference between success and failure comes down to what you do in those moments. Do you take a look, see where things went wrong and consider it important research for next time? Or do you decide that it’s an obvious indicator that you were not meant to succeed, that you ultimately were not truly ready? 

The answer to these questions highlight a not-so-subtle difference between those who persevere and build the business and life they want and those who conclude, often way too early, that they just couldn’t make it work.

When it comes to doing new things to build your parent coaching business, fear is not a reason to stay in a place of inaction. It’s also not an indicator of your competence, readiness or likelihood of success. 

Some of the most successful business owners are the ones who were the most afraid to begin, but did it anyways.

Every step you take, however small, builds your library of evidence. Notice I didn’t say ‘every successful step you take.’ The evidence you need is that you can get out there, do things that feel risky and live to tell the tale, regardless of their outcome. Success always lies in taking action, not the outcome of the action itself. (Read that again.) Celebrate that you did it, no matter how it turns out. 

Now when you feel fear, take it as an indication that you’re in the game. You are growing a business. You are learning new things and bringing everything you have to offer to the world, one imperfect step at a time, just like every successful parent coach that has come before you. So feel those feelings, and remember, “The burning means it’s working.”

Meet Your Author, Katie Owen

Jai Business Coach & Marketing Mentor

As a former practicing therapist turned copywriter and marketing strategist, Katie is passionate about the intersection of marketing and mindset. Katie embodies the practices of taking the simple actions, consistently over time, that create epic results.

A master storyteller, Katie works with our coaches to refine their message, increase their visibility and get clients!