Stepping over FEAR to get to CHANGE.

 This was a big, busy and amazing week for me personally and professionally. There were exciting team changes at my veterinary hospital, a big life-changing move for my son, and a fabulous change for me personally -- the release of my new podcast!  

The podcast was an intimidating idea that I have worked on developing for many months.  Genuine fears came up for me in the development process that I had to mentally work around.  Fear comes up naturally when we attempt to do something that we have never done before.   We experience fear of failing, fear of criticism, and sometimes even fear of success.

Let’s explore big life changes and how to overcome fear that often accompanies change.  We all experience it from time to time.  There is healthy fear of change that our brains see as self-protective and then there is unhealthy fear that interrupts our progress on the way to accomplishment.

How can we handle the fear of change while still putting brilliance out into the world?

Embrace your fear.  Do not let the anxiety that you experience during a change paralyze you. Emotions are transient; so do not wait to take steps until your anxiety completely disappears. Feel the fear and then take small steps to overcome each thought that your brain develops.  If you feel stuck in the fear, write the thoughts down so you can see them on paper.  Sort them into rational fears and irrational fears.  Taking a critical look at the things that your brain “makes up” will help you move through the fear of change faster.  

Sometimes, a fear comes from simply not knowing very much about the thing you’re afraid of.  In my podcast example, I really knew nothing about podcasting, except the things that I learned from listening to other people’s podcasts. In order to overcome some of my fears I had to begin to study podcasting.  Fortunately for me, I have family members that were able to help me get my podcast out into the world. My daughter is a photographer and graphic artist.  She did the logo and artwork for my podcast.  My son is a composer so he was able to write my podcast music and also help with sound editing.  My sister Jill and her husband have a successful podcast called “True Crime Brewery” so she was able to advise me on where to start.

There is amazing power in collaboration and learning from others in your life.  If you are facing a big change and feeling fearful, talk to someone close to you that can see things from a less emotional perspective.  Have them help you work through your difficulties and see the situation for what it really is.  Ask them for their opinions and truly listen to their response.  It is very possible that you are making more of a situation than needs to be made. Your family and friends may help you overcome the fear of change.

Remember that fear and anxiety serve a purpose but when fear starts to slow you down, you need to kick yourself into action and STEP over your fear to get to the CHANGE.

Please listen to my new podcast (The Veterinary Life Coach Podcast) on iTunes or Spotify and let me know what you think.  If you have any suggestions or questions for me send an email to jacappeldvm@gmail.com.

Dr. Julie Cappel

“If you want to conquer fear, don't sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy”.  - Dale Carnegie