I’m writing this blog from the coffee shop where I ran my very first ever client coaching session about 4 and a half years ago!

The nostalgia that I feel sitting here is pretty mega! I remember exactly where we sat, and I remember exactly how I felt. TOTALLY TERRIFIED!!

My palms were sweaty, my voice was wobbly, my heart was trying to burst out of my chest. And my brain was working on overdrive – worrying that I was going to be make a total fool of myself, or that all my words would dry up and I’d be pulled up as a total fraud.

Thankfully – none of those things happened!

And despite feeling exceptionally uncomfortable navigating this new ‘first time’ (that meant a whole lot to me!) I not only survived, but I think I did a pretty good job!

The client even booked a second session with me, and subsequently continued working with me for a series of months to follow!

In that moment of initial panic, I had a choice to make.

I could have SO easily have let my fears and insecurities run the show. And I could have made the discomfort of the experience mean that deviating from my 14 year marketing career and retraining to become a coach wasn’t the right move for me.

So I’m pretty damn grateful to that past version of me who chose instead to push on through the fear, ride the icky waves and do everything she could to prove her frightened brain so very wrong.

Because, had I given up at that first tricky hurdle I may not be living this life of mine right now that I love so much – running a business I ADORE, working with the most wonderful clients who inspire me every day and enjoying the freedom and flexibility to be there for my kids.

How do you feel about doing things for the first time?

If you think back to how many ‘firsts’ you’ve had in your life, I bet you’ll lose count! And I imagine that many of those ‘firsts’ brought up all sorts of feelings for you too, as they did for me!

That’s because doing new things requires us to step out of our comfort zone and stare ‘The Unknown’ bravely in the face, whatever stage we’re at in life!

But however wobbly those ‘firsts’ might feel, those moments are also bursting with juicy insights – sometimes completely unconsciously.

And those invaluable learnings make turning up again (and maybe even again and again!) feel a whole lot less scary and more achievable, giving us the courage to go hunting for our next new challenge…where the cycle probably starts all over again!

It’s funny how, despite experiencing a lifetime of ‘firsts’, we still find ourselves on that same emotional rollercoaster each time we start something new.

And we often given ourselves such a hard time for finding those ‘firsts’ hard.

It’s a fact of life that the first time we do things is often the hardest!

And it’s so important to remember that just because it feels hard or scary, it doesn’t mean it’s wrong for us! To the contrary – perhaps it’s a sign that this is something that really matters to us, and is SO worth persevering with.

This might be a reaction we never ‘grow out of, so it would be so nice to cut ourselves a bit of slack as we bravely and curiously embark on new beginnings, wouldn’t it?!

The next time you face a ‘first’, try parking the pressure and instead showing yourself some compassion by reminding yourself…

I AM ALLOWED TO FIND THIS NEW THING HARD

NEW THINGS ARE HARD, BUT I CAN DO HARD THINGS

THIS NEW EXPERIENCE WILL BE FULL OF INSIGHTS AND LEARNINGS

THIS NEW EXPERIENCE IS A SIGN THAT I AM GROWING

I’VE SURVIVED NEW EXPERIENCES BEFORE, SO I CAN DO IT AGAIN

Now, doesn’t THAT feel a whole lot better?! 😍

What ‘first’ are you navigating right now that could do with this fresh perspective?

This article was written by  Tamsin Williamson,  one of our partner coaches who supports women who is empowering ambitious but unfulfilled mums to reconnect with their passion, purpose and potential, so they can rule life while raising kids unapologetically on their terms. You can get in touch via her profile page  or visiting her website  https://theparenthoodcoach.co.uk/.

May 31, 2023