You say you don't know if you're ready. But you do. You know exactly what needs to change.
That's not the problem. The problem is that you're scared. Scared of being judged. Scared of failing. Scared of putting yourself out there and it not working. Scared of embarrassing yourself in front of the people who knew the old you. Scared that people will talk. Scared that you'll make the wrong decision.
And perhaps, if you're really honest, scared of what happens if it actually works.
Because change is uncomfortable.
And I can't promise you that the fear goes away.
It doesn't.
But I've learned to see fear differently. Fear can be a signal that you're changing. That you're stretching. That you're about to do something you've never done before. That little twinge in your stomach before you make the bigger move?
It's not necessarily a stop sign.
It might be the arrow.
For me, when I feel it, I've learned to move towards it.
Fast.
Because I've realised that if I stand still and give fear enough time to speak, it will come up with a hundred perfectly reasonable reasons why I shouldn't do it.
What if it doesn't work?
What will people think?
What if I fail?
What if I'm not good enough?
Maybe next year.
Maybe when the kids are older.
Maybe when I have more money.
Maybe when I feel more confident.
And before you know it, another year has passed.
So no, I can't tell you that you won't be scared.
You probably will be. You have to do it scared. Because if creating the life you actually want was easy, everyone would be doing it. And they aren't.
If you want something different from the majority of people around you, at some point you're going to have to do something they aren't willing to do.
You have to be willing to be uncomfortable.
To be seen trying. To risk rejection. To make mistakes. To be the beginner.
To make the decision before you feel 100% ready.
And here's the bit I think we often forget:
What you're doing now isn't getting you there anyway.
Staying where you are because you're scared doesn't remove the risk. It just guarantees that nothing changes.
So ask yourself... What is the fear actually protecting me from? And what is it stopping me from becoming? Because maybe the answer isn't that you're not ready.
Maybe you're ready.
Maybe you're just scared.
And maybe that's okay.
Feel the fear.
Then move anyway.