All you need to do is get out of your own way.

If you’d told me, years ago, that I would be celebrating success as a personal development and Leadership coach and would be working with international business leaders, I may not have believed you. Fear reminded me that I didn’t have a life coach certification but, luckily for me, a certification doesn’t define me because the results I get for my clients speak for themselves, time and time again. It took courage to move past my fears so that I could stop playing small, level up, and help my coaching clients – executives, employees, and entrepreneurs alike.

Sidenote > If a formal qualification isn’t crucial for you to do the work, then do the work and get the results. Stop holding yourself back because of that excuse.

This is what I want to encourage you with today. Have the courage and be brave enough to get out of your own way. The life you want and the person you want to become will require courage.

Here are three ways to build your courage.

1. Celebrate your wins, big and small!

Are you a celebrator or a nexter? Do you celebrate your victories or just tick them off as done and move on to accomplish the next one because you’re #busy? I’ve been a nexter my whole life so have had to consciously train myself to intentionally make the time to pause and celebrate – sometimes that means dancing in my living room, hugging my girls, hugging Craig, calling a friend, or, like I did last night, enjoyed a donut 😉

I had to remind my client of this yesterday. She’s the head of business for Africa, for a global company. Her growth, confidence, courage, and results have been remarkable since we started working together BUT she forgets to celebrate.

Why is celebrating your victories – big and small – so important?

Celebrating BIG WINS gives us the courage to take significant steps forward i.e. to take bold action.

Celebrating the SMALL WINS gives us energy and builds our resilience so that we can keep on moving forward when challenges come our way. It enhances our motivation, our self-confidence and gradually expands our comfort zone.

Let’s celebrate together! I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours? 😉

PS> Use your Gratitude journal to jot down your wins. Acknowledging the good and expressing gratitude are interlinked.

• A rewarding coaching session
• The start of a new personal development coaching journey with another leader in corporate business – referred to me because of the above.
• A truckload – literally – of dog food donated to JustOneThing365, by Petzone. The pics are amazing! Check them out on FB / Instagram
• One of the dogs I helped over December, finally went to his forever home. Look at that smile! (I’ve shared him on JOT365 too)
• Being bombarded with heart from my #WhyWednesday group last night. You were the cherry on the top of the day ladies! Thank you for showing up so courageously and fully. Here’s the link for the replay.
• I was able to keep bringing my mind back whenever it meandered off during meditation
• I did a proposal in record time (Progress, not perfection remember)
• Enjoyed a mindful walk with our girls in the p.a.r.k (I can no longer say the word without spelling it out because of our girls)
• Stopped my thoughts in their tracks when I started getting annoyed at someone

Sure, I could have done some things better or differently – like swap out the donut for a piece of fruit or being more mindful of my posture – but I’m taking the wins!
What you focus on expands and I’m focused on building momentum in wins – both big and small.

In a nutshell, Action –> Result –> Celebration > Emotion > Belief > More action > More result

Alternatively, Action > Result > No celebration, no good feeling > Less action > Less result

(Graphic adapted from stunningmotivation.com)

2. Connecting with my Purpose gives me courage, every day, to show up fully and with confidence.

Because I’m so grounded in and driven by my WHY (to help you live a fulfilled and inspired life of impact AND to be a voice for the voiceless), fear and my ego take a back seat.

I’m able to show up, perfectly imperfect, for you and support you through my weekly LIVE group coaching sessions and dancing through the month of August, on Instagram.

My Purpose gave me the courage to be vulnerable and write my book, Living On Purpose, and to create a private coaching Facebook group for you. We’re starting in October and you’ll need a copy of my book because we’ll be going through a chapter per week – chatting about the lessons, insights, tips, and never-before-shared-behind-the-scenes stories.

Email me here to order your signed copy / or to let me know that you have a copy and would like to join.

Order on Kindle and send me the proof of purchase so that I can invite you.

3. Link your victories to your daily Gratitudes. 

What you focus on expands so create/manifest more of what you want by focusing on all the good that you receive every day.

Being grateful will remind you that you are not a victim but are in fact #blessed in so many ways. It will create more positive emotions, improve their wellbeing by lifting you out of your gloomy slump and so much more.

The lesson

It takes courage to create a life that truly fulfills and inspires you – to start, stop, change, and shift out of your comfort zone. It takes courage to say no to people, places, circumstances that don’t serve you or hold the same values. It takes courage to say ‘yes’ to new opportunities. It takes courage to set boundaries, to stand your ground, to take back your power, to stand firm in your value. It takes courage to live a life of impact. It takes courage to own your past mistakes and own your decisions.

You’re braver than you think. All you need to do is get out of your own way.

“Live the Life of Your Dreams: Be brave enough to live the life of your dreams according to your vision and purpose instead of the expectations and opinions of others.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

For more tips, watch last night’s session here and share it with someone who needs some courage, encouragement, and clarity to take ownership of their lives.

Lastly, if you feel like you’re stuck in the mud, haven’t figured out what you actually want from your life and what your next step needs to be, contact me here for a 15min no-obligation discovery call.

You are braver than you think. You are purposed to live a full and inspired life of impact. And you are ready to do what you have to, to make that happen.

With love and light,

Petra