I’m paralysed with fear about life after my business – what am I going to do?

Dearest Aunty B,

I have to make a very important decision to leave my business because I am in disagreement with a number of the key stakeholders about the future direction.

Although I know I have no alternative but to make the decision, I find myself paralysed with fear and reluctant to make it.

I have been trying to work out why I can’t move forward and I think it is because I have always known where I am going. This is the first time I am leaving something to go nowhere specific in my life, as I have always successfully moved forward.

I didn’t even have this fear when I left corporate Australia to start my own business.

How do I do the right thing with confidence? And I know Aunty B that if I don’t go I will be forced to at some stage, so I have no choice really.

Not sure about moving forward,

AK

Dear AK,

Simple! You have led a successful professional life and now, what? You fear the future? You? Why? Look back. Each time you have moved, you have taken a risk. They have paid off. You are just taking a risk again. Why won’t that pay off too?

Also think back to all the times you wondered how things would work out and then when they did, wondering what the hell you had been worried about. Remember? Most things you worry about don’t actually end up happening.

So sit down with your advisors and mentors and sketch out two plans.

One plan is what you will do in the next few weeks, every day, if you leave your job tomorrow. Include lots of nice things you haven’t had time to do for years, like a walk every day, coffee with friends, reading a book to the end, afternoon naps – sounds lovely, doesn’t it? See how full your day is?

The second plan to sketch out is what you want to do longer term. Every day as you do some of those lovely things that none of us ever get time to do, you will execute that longer-term plan.

You can move forward with fear or with confidence: So why not the latter?

Be smart,

Your Aunty B