I told you my story last week about starting a business so now it’s time to hear from you—what’s your story? I know that you dream of doing something. Something that brings you joy. Something that will take you in new directions! You may or may not have shared it with family and friends, but it’s still there and you think about it all the time.  I get it—I’ve been there—and I understand.

Let me ask you a few probing questions that can help you begin to make your dream a bit more concrete.  Let’s start by exploring what you are curious about.  What are you really good at doing? What gives you energy?  What do you really care about?  What do you aspire to become? Your answers may have everything or nothing to do with starting or owning a business.  It could be something as simple as doing more volunteer work, finishing your degree, helping your children in new ways, or something that requires more effort such as starting a business.  Whatever it is –it gives you passion and purpose—so set aside some time and figure out what “that” is and relentlessly pursue it!   Sometimes there are so many opportunities that you can become  overwhelmed, but do not stop – focus, prioritize and narrow the ideas down until you know what “that” is, then you’ll have a concrete goal to pursue, something you can talk about, share, and take action to make a reality.  Talk about it – out loud – to friends and family.  That makes your goal concrete.

For some of us, after we’ve set the goal, we start wrestling with fear and the discouragement fear breeds so much that it paralyzes us. Fear can hold you hostage and make you feel powerless, tempting you to give up and retreat to the way it was before you had “that” dream, “that” goal. Ultimately, if you allow your fear to fester, it can prevent you from taking the steps that will pave the road to your destiny.

Your first action, a very important action, is to break free from the fear that is holding you back.  You have the power to overcome it. Remember,  I wrestled with fear of starting a business for close to  three years, but I finally broke free—and so can you.  Whatever you do—don’t give up—move forward and courageously pursue your goal with vigor and determination. Ask yourself ‘what’s the worst that can happen?’  A friend of mine had the mantra, ‘If it doesn’t work out, I can always wait tables.’

I’m here to tell you that you can achieve your goal—you can do it—but  it requires you to take additional action and do what I call the 3 P’s—Plan, Prepare, and Perform.

• Plan—Do not quit your job tomorrow.  Don’t put yourself at extreme risk. It’s too early to determine if achieving your goal will require that you to make that decision. Instead, plan how to move forward.  Figure out what you need to get started.  Does it require you to have a stash of cash?  If so, start now by saving money.  Have you documented your goals and the steps? If not, begin writing now!

Documenting what you want and how you think you can get there is an important step to making a dream come true.  Writing forces you to think clearly and logically about what is needed to achieve your dream.  It also exposes what you don’t know and the help you’ll need to succeed.  Knowing what you don’t know is critical to your success.  You can find the answers by doing research and networking with others. Make a list of who can help you. Find the people that you can connect with for expertise, assistance and emotional support. You may have to make a financial investment for some of these resources but you can make significant progress just by using the internet and having informal discussions with others.  Start networking now!

Don’t be in a panicked rush to complete your plan—take your time — writing, sharing, thinking, pondering and then refining your plan.  You will find that taking the time will reveal potential challenges and opportunities.  Focus, focus, and more focus now will help you avoid many pitfalls later!

• Prepare—Okay, so you have a plan in place now—next you need to prepare. Preparation is both mental and physical.   Planning and preparation can overlap.  For example, you may have drafted a plan; however, if you have not done what is necessary to start implementing the plan; you still have a problem. For example, I saved a year’s salary but it was still difficult for me to put in my resignation to quit my full time job.  I had a list of networking contacts, but it was hard for me to reach out to them to let them know about my services—I didn’t want to come across as pushy.

I also can’t underscore the importance of mentally preparing yourself. Let me say that again…I can’t underscore the importance of mental preparation!  I centered myself through prayer, but it was challenge for me to step out and take the risk.  For example, if your goal is to start a business, you may not immediately get a contract—it make take months, so you have to remind yourself that this is normal. Don’t doubt yourself or your capability—you have what it takes—so continue to network and implement your plan. If your goal is something other than starting a business, you will still run into challenges and obstacles, but continue to review and implement your plan.  Don’t allow your challenges to overtake or overwhelm you. Shake it off, remain positive and look for the opportunity in each obstacle you encounter. Reach out to family and friends—they can be an amazing support system.   And you may want to consider having a mentor or coach—or someone who can guide you and/or provide encouragement throughout the process.

• Perform— Now that you have armed yourself with a plan and you are prepared—it’s time to step out and perform—yes, in spite of your fears!  Keep reminding yourself that you are destined for greatness!  You will know you are  performing when you are learning what you don’t know, building strong relationships to help you meet your challenges, and are able to check-off tasks on your plan as “Completed”.  You have access to everything you need to be successful.  Go ahead—you can do it!

We all have gifts and talents and that includes you so I know you have a story to tell.  I know that you have goals that you want to achieve.  Please share your story, goals, or thoughts in the comments section of this article.  You can also email me at aspiringblackwoman@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!