Alright, Goal Diggers. I am not going to sugar coat it– this dream chasing this is hard. And beautiful. And freeing. And stressful. Safe to say that there are SO many emotions tied to really “going for it” and today I am going to not only talk about the five emotions that EVERY girlboss has felt at one point. Not only are we going to dive into the emotions of being a driven woman,  but give YOU tips on how to capitalize on these feelings when they come. Whether it is a seemingly negative trait or a positive, I am going to help you take control and use it for good! Ya ready?

First up, FEAR:

Yup, that one simple word that we have felt it at one point or another in our career journey. That’s right- all. of. us. Let that sink in- every single one of us has felt fear at one point or another. Whether it is the lady with the perfectly styled Instagram who seems to have it “all together” or the college student with a blog or the multi-millionaire CEO. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re 10 years in, fear is something that you’re feeling, that has held you back, that has kept you from chasing your dreams.

I think it’s funny that entrepreneurs often get labeled as “fearless” when that couldn’t be more false. I loved how Forbes said, “Entrepreneurs are plagued by fears, too. In fact, entrepreneurs live in a state of nearly constant fear — a place where risk is heightened and embraced. Fear of failure, fear of discouragement, fear of embarrassment, fear of health problems, fear of everything can throw an entrepreneur’s life into total disarray.”

And how true that is! When you are your own source of income, ANYTHING can completely rock your world, and a healthy dose of fear can  keep us prepared and fight back to prevent bad things from happening, but it’s when fear turns into worry, inability to move forward, and scarcity mindset that we need to adjust our thoughts.

If you feel like fear is holding you back, there ARE ways you can take charge. Something that really helps me is to think “what is the WORST thing that could happen?”. While this sounds dismal, it often makes you realize that the absolute WORST thing is usually manageable, and you’d still be able to move forward. Sometimes rationalizing your fear is actually the best way to beat it!

EXCITEMENT:

You know that feeling when you wake up and you’re excited about what you’re going to do that day? You have a little pep in your step and everything seems just a bit brighter? Entrepreneurs thrive on this feeling and a lot of times it’s what got them started in the first place! The beauty of being an entrepreneur is that we often feel this excited about our WORK. How cool is that? Most people loathe going to work, but rather, we have designed full-time jobs, side hustles, and projects that fill us up!

Remember that day when you were just so excited to start your business, your blog, your product that you just wanted to do everything at once? I can think of so many evenings that I stayed up until late in the night working on a new blog post, pricing guide, email template because I was just too excited to wait until morning. I love that feeling where I am so genuinely filled up and happy about my work that I feel like I could work forever. That, my friends, is doing your soul’s work!

However, there are a few flip sides to the excitement. Being so excited about your work can easily lead to overworking, overinvestment, and out of line priorities. Goal Diggers, I urge you that no matter how excited you get about work, try to be even more excited about family time, rest, vacations, LIVING. Also, I’m not saying that you should feel this joy about EVERY facet of your work, but it should at least be in parts of it. For me, it’s writing, course launches, and photo design that I genuinely love! While we may love what we do, we can never forget that work takes work (you just have to harness the excitement along the way!)

STRESS:

Okay, Goal Diggers. Five letters, one word. STRESS. Can I get an amen?! I think every single listener out there has felt stress with your work. Whether your inbox is overflowing or it’s straight up crickets, you’re likely stressed. When you’re an entrepreneur, you are the one that has to keep the ship moving forward and if things are slow, it relies on you… when it hits the fan, that’s also on you.

For me, when I think of stress I think of the summer of burnout… I was photographing weddings every. Weekend. And friends, it was STRESSFUL. I was editing, traveling, and taking photos my life away. I never felt like I could “catch up” or take a breath… Simply put, I was burning the candle at every end and it was beginning to infringe on my personal life, health, and mental state. I was making more money than ever, but more unhappy than I’d ever been. So yes, it was a STRESSFUL time. But this is where stress can be a good thing and not a bad.

How do I mean? When you feel stressed, it is your body and brain trying to tell you something. It’s an internal reaction saying “something’s not totally right here”. And to be clear, I’m not talking about brief periods of stress during a busy week, I am talking about the all-consuming, sustained stress that is impacting your life. Goal Diggers, do you have any areas of your life like this? Are you stressed daily? Feeling anxious? This is your sign to do something about it. Whether it’s transitioning to a new job, hiring someone, or even getting professional help- think of the stress in your life as a message. What needs to change and how are you going to do it?

ACCOMPLISHMENT:

This one is really fun and uplifting to talk about! And we have ALL felt it– that beautiful sense of accomplishment when a goal gets reached, a milestone is met, and the to-do list is crossed off. There is something so empowering about knowing that YOU put the work in to make your dreams a reality.  Chasing your life’s biggest calling can make you feel a ton of pride and accomplishment (heck, even celebration!) When your name is on it, behind it, and connected to your work, you work harder to make it something you’re proud of!

Accomplishment comes in all forms: mini and big. Smaller feelings are when you actually get everything was done that is on your to-do list that day, are able to close the laptop, get your workout in, and make a healthy dinner for your family. Simply put, it’s those little moments during the day where you say “Yes, I’ve got this.”

These little moments of accomplishment are what you should shoot for every day- they are the small choices and moments that show you are moving in the right direction… AKA moving towards the BIG moments of accomplishment!

Goal Diggers, I don’t want you to forget this! While you’re out there shooting for the stars, don’t get lost in the enormity of a goal. Take it as an opportunity to break it down into smaller, action-focused items that you can do every day to inch you closer to that goal. Big moments of pride and small moments of pride and every moment in between- they all deserve to be celebrated!

LOST:

Lastly, my friends, the emotion LOST. We have all felt it, you are not alone. I remember how stuck and stagnant I felt in my corporate job… Dreading every Monday, living my life by someone else’s standards and knowing deep inside that I wasn’t living my true potential. But what direction should I go? Enter: the emotion, lost.

I remember this time so vividly, not quite knowing what was next, what I should be doing, if I was being foolish, but moving forward regardless. While lost can seem negative, much like failure, it is often the launching pad to the right path! In periods where I have felt most lost, it is because in my SOUL something was not right, and it was time to discover the reason.

And guess what, goal diggers, periods of loss will still find you in your dream career! I remember feeling so lost and confused when i was burnt out on weddings. What would I do if I wasn’t a photographer? How could I compete with so and so? What will (fill in blank here) think of my career transition? What. Is. Next?!

Feeling lost can find us in the big moments like career pivots and it can also find us in the quiet in-betweens. While scrolling, looking at our planner, playing the comparison game… There’s so much content out there, so many ways to get to where you want to go, so much education, it’s hard to feel like you’re on the right path sometimes. But! (There is always a but!) I promise that if you lean on your intuition and trust that you know what you need, everything will fall into place. I promise! Remember: feeling lost is an opportunity! For growth, new chapters, and new beginnings! Embrace it, sweet friends!  

Well, Goal Diggers, if you got anything out of this episode, I really just wanted to remind you that you are not alone. In whatever season you are in, whatever emotions you are feeling, so many before you have navigated these seasons– and are rooting for YOU.

Looking for more inspiration and uplifting energy to get you through the difficult times? PLEASE join our Facebook community where we constantly share our worries, doubts, and help lift one another up!  Alright, Goal Diggers, that’s a wrap! I hope this episode made you feel at home with your fellow dreamers, doers, and forward thinkers… You are never alone! Remember that! Until next time, friends!

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