Happy New Year!

I hope you had a joyous, peaceful Christmas with your family.

Did you set new year resolutions?

What are your career aspirations for 2019?

For the first Christmas in many years I took some time out and it was bliss. I was able to reflect upon my successes and challenges during 2018 and the growth that I would like to see in myself and my business in 2019.

It feels a little vulnerable sharing, but one of the areas that I would like to grow in during 2019, is public speaking, internationally. Specifically, around the challenges that women in positions of leadership face and how to be more successful and happy being authentic. 

The reason for sharing this with you is that kept in my head, it’s just a wish. Once I say it out aloud it becomes real and I feel motivated to achieve the goal. 

The trouble with proclaiming our aspirations though, is that our survival instinct kicks in and prompts us to think of all of the things that could go wrong. We feel fearful, so we avoid doing it.

Our inner dialogue sounds something like this:

“If I say it, I have to achieve it, but…

What if I fail?
What will people think of me?
What if I let my family and friends down?
What if I lose my credibility?”
The underlying blocker to success is fear.

But the thing with fear is that it’s just an emotion that we’ve been programmed to feel since childhood, in order to keep us safe. It can be re-programmed!

How many times were you warned about doing something that would hurt you as a child, because your parents were trying to protect you? When in actual fact, you probably continued doing it until you felt the pain and then stopped, because you had faced the fear… you were fearless!

I know we’re no longer children and it’s hard to be fearless when we understand the consequences of our actions, but what if you were able to reframe this fear as excitement?

Just think for one moment…"what if I were to proclaim and achieve my aspiration"…

• What would this mean for my career and finances?

• What would this allow me to do, be or have more of?

• What impact would this allow me to make?

• How much more confident and happy would I feel?”

And best of all…

“If I could achieve this…what else is possible?”

I know the feeling of fear well and spent most of 2018 living outside of my comfort zone. It has allowed me to grow in ways that I didn’t think were possible and puts me several steps closer to achieving my mission of helping as many high achieving women find their true authentic leadership style and voice, so that they can enjoy the success and happiness they desire, being themselves. 

I have learnt that what I resist most, is what I need to focus on most in order to be more successful and the same is true for you…

As we start 2019 I don’t just encourage you, I urge you to think about what you aspire to in your career.

Are you achieving the success that you desire and deserve being your true authentic self?

What is the one thing that you would be committed to achieving if…

• You didn’t worry what people thought of you?

• You felt that you would be heard and respected?

• You felt good enough?

• You felt more confident?

Do you want to be in exactly the same place in your career and life one year from now? 

So today, as the New Year begins, choose one aspiration that you are committed to achieving in your career within the next 12 months and proclaim it to your colleagues, friends and family. Embrace the fear and revel in the excitement of where you may be this time next year.

“When your goal is greater than your fear…anything is possible!”

Here’s to your best year!

Natalie

www.natalieclare.com