On Hitting A Wall & Not Giving Up

Last week I hit a wall. I didn’t see it coming so it caught me completely by surprise.

I’m an introvert. I know that when I have to extrovert it takes a lot out of me energetically. I don’t mind being in groups of people or sharing in front of a crowd but afterward, I absolutely need alone time to recharge.

For the last 4-6 weeks, I have been knee-deep in creation mode on a couple of new projects. What I didn’t understand, until last week, was that all the creating I’ve been doing was slowly emptying my tank.

As part of my self-care, I have good boundaries in place around my time. I go to bed on time, I don’t work on the weekends (though to be honest that’s a fairly new boundary) and I am fairly diligent to take at least one break throughout my workday.

Hitting the wall

But, I wasn’t creating space to turn off and intentionally recharge, mostly because I didn’t know I needed to. A few weeks ago, it occurred to me that I should go to the beach (the ideal place for me to recharge) but I put it off figuring I’d get there eventually.

Then last week happened, my tank ran dry and energetically I hit a wall where I just couldn’t keep going. I had to stop.

I didn’t get sick but I was tired, not to mention a tiny bit frustrated and discouraged because I have also been experiencing the harder side of being an entrepreneur the last few weeks. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart!

So I made my way to the beach and as I let the ocean work its salt-water magic on me, I realized that even in the midst of things being difficult (and they have been hard) it never once crossed my mind to give up.

I didn’t wrestle with any questions of “should I be doing this?”, “have I lost my mind?”, or “what if I fail?”. None of those questions crossed my mind and I had to take a minute to celebrate because I didn’t always have that level of confidence.

A lack of confidence

The truth is I know first hand the toll a lack of self-confidence can have on you. Fear, doubt, and insecurity used to cause me to second-guess myself ALL.THE.TIME.

I’ve never been averse to taking risks. I’ve moved multiple times in a relatively short amount of time to cities where I knew no one; twice I’ve left jobs I enjoyed because I felt something bigger calling to me; not to mention the leap I took to start my own business with no guarantee things would work out.

Still, even in the midst of taking those risks, my insecurities often overwhelmed me. I blamed it on being an introvert but the truth was I didn’t trust or truly believe in myself.

There was a time when I thought everyone around me was better than me so I played small. I didn’t apply for promotions I was qualified for, I armored up internally to protect against any criticisms, and I hid behind words like “I’m the behind the scenes girl”.

Despite how it looked on the outside, my confidence was pretty much non-existent UNTIL I discovered how to overcome my fears, own my enoughness, and stand fully in my power.

Reclaiming my self-confidence is how I REALLY had the courage to start my own business. It is also how I could hit a wall last week and not give up, certain that I’m doing what I’m meant to be doing. Anchoring into and growing my self-confidence has been the absolute game changer for me.

FREE Training

The training has happened already but if you would like a copy of the recording feel free to email me at makeda@makedapennycooke.com

I learned how to conquer the things that were crushing my confidence and now I want to show you how to do the same. Next Wednesday, April 27 I’m hosting a FREE training where you can learn to Conquer YOUR Confidence Crushers.

I’ll be sharing:

• What confidence is and what it is not (false bravado is not the same thing)
• The many ways a lack of self-confidence is affecting your ability to show up fully in your life.
• The top 8 confidence crushers and what you can do to conquer them
• You will also get specific tools and strategies you can implement now to grow your self-confidence
• Plus there will be time for Q&A

It all happens Wednesday, April 27, 2016, at 1:00PM EST. The call will be recorded so if you can’t make it live, sign-up and I’ll send you the recording.

Here’s to you rising into your greatness.

From my heart to yours,

P.S: Your dreams are waiting for you to fully embrace the confidence to chase them. If not now then when? If you’re ready to chase those dreams, let’s chat. Click here to schedule a complimentary coaching call with me.