The A-HA Moment

The A-HA Moment

I’ve spent countless hours working with business professionals in an effort to help improve their results. We spend time building road maps to achieve the goals they most desire. I teach systems and processes that will get them to the places they want to go.

And then, it’s their turn. It reaches that point in time when knowledge must be turned into action. It’s time for them to take the first step, and—they freeze. I ask what’s holding them back; why can’t they take that first step? The answers are always some version of:

• I’m scared
• I’m not confident enough
• I don’t believe I’m ready
• I need more time to learn
• I don’t have enough experience 

For years I’ve worked relentlessly to help professional adults in the business world eliminate self-doubt, and muster up the courage to take the first step toward their dreams.

While working on the Essential F-Words for Teens book, I created a survey for Juniors in high school to complete. After all, who am I to help young adults of that age? I’m three decades removed from those years in my life. I needed to know what goals they had, what they cared about, and what things were holding them back. 

Their answers caused my jaw to drop. A survey question asked: “What self-beliefs are holding you back?” Nearly 100 students answered anonymously and 88% of them had some version of:

• I have a fear of failing
• I don’t believe I’ll be good enough
• I’m scared to be myself
• I’m not prepared
• I’m not smart or experienced enough

While reading these responses I had an “A-HA!” moment. The adults I have been working with in the business world are just older versions of their sixteen-year-old selves. They’ve been carrying the lack of confidence and enormous self-doubt with them their entire life. How much different would their lives be today if people had stepped in with advice, support, encouragement, and the nudge they needed to take their first step when they were sixteen, seventeen or even twenty-one?

The day I read the answers to that survey question was the day I decided to take my first step to help young adults take their first step towards whatever life they most desire. You are here, you are reading this, so you are ready to take that first step. If you haven’t done so already, join our tribe of people helping people. Let’s create the future you dream of, and the one you deserve, together.