The other day, I did something I’d been terrified of, succeeded, and am now reaping the rewards of that success.

And it’s all thanks to this blog.

That’s right. It was writing this blog that motivated me, no pushed me, into doing what I dreaded doing.

You see, a month ago, I planned to write a post about doing something even if you’re afraid to do so… in order to grow as a person, a freelancer and an entrepreneur.

I was going to challenge you to do the one thing you knew would make you a more successful freelancer — even if it’s darn scary.

At that time, I knew I had been going courageously after my goals… but I couldn’t in good conscience write the post because I knew there was a fear which was paralyzing me in my PERSONAL life.

So I didn’t write the post.

I did, however, go and do what I had been most afraid to do. Sort of like an experiment for this blog.

What was I so afraid of anyway?

Now, don’t laugh. It may sound trivial and mundane, probably even silly.

Here goes: I was afraid to take my Ontario driver’s road test.

Since moving to Ontario almost three years ago, I hadn’t been driving. Even though I had driven over 20 years in Manila, I knew it was different here. Many Filipino immigrants with plenty of driving experience fail — sometimes two times or more — before finally passing the road test.

I didn’t want to be one of them. I didn’t want to be a failure.

So even though I could have taken my road test way back in August, I didn’t.

And then came this planned post.

I dared myself to take my own challenge and do what I was most afraid to do, even if it wasn’t business related (hey, I can perfectly run my freelancing business without ever leaving home).

I even considered writing about my personal challenge, but again, I didn’t, because if I failed then I’d look like a loser, right?

Anyway, here’s the ending to this story:

1. I listed every single step or task I needed to do to complete that thing I was most afraid of.

2. I completed each step.

3. Whenever I felt scared, I reminded myself that, if I failed, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

It also helped that my sister told me:

“Look, the sooner you fail, the sooner you can retake the test. The sooner you pass, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of having your license.”

Makes perfect sense, but it took me months to realize it!

So finally, I booked my road test, arranged to have three hours of practice driving with a certified driving instructor, and took my test last Friday.

And, yes, I passed.

While waiting for the examiner, I told myself, “Lexi, this test is simply a measure of whether or not you should be driving here in Ontario. If you fail, it means you’re not qualified to drive safely. That’s a valuable thing to know about yourself and one that can be easily remedied by taking more driving lessons (sure, at $35 per hour!). And if you ARE a safe enough driver, then you’ll pass. It’s as simple as that.”

It was as simple as that.

Share your fears

How about you? What are you most afraid of that could enhance your life significantly? I challenge you to face your fear and do it!

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

photo credit: *Zara

I’ve been increasing my rates every few months for the last year or so. And the results have always been positive, bringing a stream of new, higher-quality clients.

Despite knowing on a logical level that this move is good, the decision to increase my fees created a lot of anxiety in me. You see, I didn’t raise my fees by 10%, 20% or even 30%. I raised them by 84%!

Doing something bold and scary like this is one way to dig up one’s emotional baggages. Immediately, I was besieged by feelings of inadequacy (“I don’t deserve this), fear of poverty (“Nobody will ever hire me again”) and lack of trust in divine providence (“I’m on my own now).

On one hand, this is good. I’ve learned a lot about myself recently, and I’m seeking (and receiving) support from my different networks. On the other hand, it makes for stressful times.

I promised myself many years ago never to make decisions based on fear. So I didn’t allow all the negative feelings I’ve dug up to stop myself. In fact, I used them to challenge myself even more, if only to see if my fears are warranted.

And it’s paid off. Check this out:

• I pitched a guest post in a very successful, very busy blog. Scared the heck out of me, but guess what – my guest post is going to be published soon! I don’t want to jinx it by announcing it already, but I’ll definitely let you know when.
• In the last quotation I submitted, I would have been perfectly happy to do the task at my old rate (it’s for a favorite client), but instead I used my new rates as a basis. A bit of haggling ensued, but in the end, we still agreed on a fee that’s 20% higher than what I would have “settled” for.
• I’ve decided to embrace an even narrower niche in copywriting and online marketing (you can read all about it at my copywriting blog). Just when I did, I discovered individuals and networks of people who share my marketing/business principles and beliefs.

Am I still scared? You bet.

But I’m also excited. I’m finding that the more I value myself, the more others value me.

More good things are to come.

What are your thoughts? Do share in the comments below.

photo credit: Swamibu