Everyone will think I'm crazy
In 2016, I made the decision to walk away from the corporate world and become a Life Coach. For about 6 months while I was doing my training, I told almost no one about it. I mean, who leaves a successful and lucrative career to start a life coaching business? How many Life Coaches actually succeed? What is life coaching anyway?
Everyone will think I've lost my mind.
Even though I knew, deep down in my gut, this is what I wanted/needed/was meant to do, I kept having these feelings. Through some great life coaching and self help books, I realized the harshest critic was none other than ME.
I hear thoughts like this from clients often.
Everyone else can handle this just fine, but I feel so overwhelmed all the time.
Everyone at work thinks I'm unreliable because my kids were sick three times this month and I had to miss things.
Everyone thinks I choose to stay home because I can't handle having a job.
If you are being hard on yourself and worrying about what "everyone" thinks, try these questions.
Who is everyone? Literally list who "everyone" is. Who do you have in mind? In my example, "everyone" I had mind were a few co-workers and one boss who I really respected. In the end I decided he would probably be happy for me, but if he did indeed think I was crazy, it wasn't enough to make me not do it. And of course the meanest, most critical "everyone" was me, myself, and I!
What would I think if I friend was doing this? We are normally much nicer and more positive when we think of other people. If a friend told me she was leaving a job she didn't love to start a business that she felt passionate about, I would be so encouraging, and happy, and supportive! Now, try imagining yourself as your "friend." Treat yourself like you'd treat her.
What's the worst that can happen? Sometimes imagining the worst case scenario helps. First of all, it's very unlikely to happen, and second, it's not usually as bad as we think. The very worst situation I could think of is that it was true that people thought my job change was crazy, and/or my business completely failed. In the end, I didn't really care about the first one, and if my business did fail, I knew I could always go back to the corporate world. Even if it's the last thing I wanted to do, I felt security in knowing that I could.
I think the biggest message here is this: question your thoughts. I can help you do that, and even help you turn them around. The good thing about being your harshest critic is that YOU also have the power to change that.
PS When you worry what everyone is thinking about you, take this wise advice from my Nana:
"Oh don't flatter yourself. Nobody's thinking about you anyway"