Power Tool: From Hesitancy vs. Action

A Coaching Power Tool Created by Dina Kassymbekova
(Life Coach, MACEDONIA)

How many of us want to change something in our lives, achieve a goal or fulfil a dream but hesitate and doubt ourselves instead of taking action?

Reasons behind hesitancy

Why does this happen? Reasons might be different. Here are some of them:

• Fear of failure. We are so afraid to fail that we do not even try pursuing our dreams and achieving our goals.
• Perfectionism. We want to be perfect and cannot start acting because we feel that we are not ready yet.
• Being overwhelmed. We are daunted by the size and complexity of a task and do not know where to start.
• Goals that do not resonate with our values or our true wishes. Sometimes, we believe that we want to achieve something even though in reality we do not. This happens when we, consciously or unconsciously, set goals giving in to the pressure of society or family.

No matter what reasons lay behind our hesitation, the attitudes that arise from it are always negative. We feel confused, worried and afraid. We doubt ourselves. These are heavy, disempowering feelings.

Taking action, on the other hand, boosts our energy and creates confidence in ourselves.

What can we do to overcome hesitancy and start acting?

• Change our interpretation of failure. Instead of seeing failure in a negative light we can see it as a learning experience and opportunity for growth. From this perspective, even if we fail we still win. We win experience on which we can build next time.
• Stop waiting until we feel confident. Confidence comes with actions.
• Take small steps one at a time.
• Focus on the process instead of the result and enjoy what we are doing instead of feeling the pressure of what we want to achieve.
• Align our goals with our values and true wishes.
• Start taking action despite uncertainty and fears, and trust that we can succeed.

How can coaching help?

A coaching relationship is a space where a client can identify and address the reasons for not taking action, shift their perspective from disempowering self-doubt to a powerful mode of taking action, find motivation and be accountable.