Fear Lives in the Unknown. Replace It with a Plan.
or, "Worry less, work more"
Fear and anxiety live in the unknown.
We get stuck when we don’t know what’s next, or when the future feels too big, too vague, too out of our control. Whether it’s work, family, health, money—uncertainty can creep in and eat up your energy before you’ve even taken a step. Sitting in front of that big unknown can be very scary and overwhelming.
What helps?
A plan.
Not the perfect plan. Not the guaranteed-to-work plan. Just a plan. Something to run. A playbook. A starting point.
For me, I’m building a new business from zero—a coaching practice and a new career. That’s a lot of unknowns. And it’d be easy to spin out. But I’ve got a plan. I’m treating it like a SaaS business. I have revenue goals and to achieve them, I need leads, I need qualified opportunities, I need to know my ICP, etc... So I’m borrowing from what I’ve done before—sales, marketing, positioning, pricing—and applying it here.
Is it going to work? I have no idea. But I’m not stuck wondering. I’m working the plan.
The plan gives me direction. It helps me measure progress. And most importantly, it gives the anxiety less room to breathe.
This isn’t a post about what your plan should be. It’s about having one.
You can always adjust. But you can’t adjust something that doesn’t exist.
If you’re in the “sort of” or “not yet” camp—what’s holding you back? Hit reply or leave a comment. I read every one.
I’d love to hear from you.
The only surest way to fail is to never start.
Building a plan and starting to work it is a great way to distinguish yourself from the majority of people who let fear stop them from taking a first step.
Love the reminder to just get moving, Mark!
So true … not knowing who to be in the present when the past was explicit… can be paralyzing. Frightening. Must make a plan. Not a simple thing. Thank you.