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My first barrier was my fear about not receiving a paycheck and trusting that I had whatever it took to earn enough money for my family and myself. I imagine my kids' faces and feel motivated to provide for them. Another obstacle was my skill set. I feel like an expert coach and speaker and am always ready to learn more, but I am not skilled at sales or marketing. How could I learn enough about these areas to make a new business work? Would the discomfort of not having enough knowledge in these areas limit my progress? By holding space for discomfort instead of pushing it away, I began to create a more mindful relationship with money. Facing our obstacles is the first step in transforming them. In a culture that appreciates things that are fun, fast, and easy, most people spend lots of time and energy avoiding discomfort. "Discomfort," notes Susan David, founder and codirector of the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital of Harvard Medical School, "is the price of admission to a meaningful life." Instead of pushing aside difficult emotions, David urges us to "realize that our emotions are often beacons of things that we care about. Look at your emotions with courage, compassion, and curiosity." She concludes, "Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is fear walking." 3. DESIGN POWERFUL ACTIONS One of the most helpful things I do to manage fear involves getting into action. What can you do to face your challenges? What powerful actions can you design and practice to keep your momentum moving forward? A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there. Goals and intentions are about moving beyond the safe shores of your security into the adventure of the unknown. Step three is where you bring your intention into action—facing fear and moving forward anyway. My husband and I created a realistic financial earning plan. I agreed to keep him informed about hitting or missing my goals. Also, I found a money coach, 1 to help me face my money fears. She helped me uncover things like Yo u r M & B i s w o r t h 2 C E s ! G o t o w w w. a b m p . c o m / c e t o l e a r n m o r e . 27 my limiting beliefs around money, how those beliefs made me feel and act, how I wanted to feel instead, and what I needed to believe to behave differently. It still doesn't feel easy, but I schedule a weekly check-in with my finances because it helps me stay on track. I look forward to feeling even more confident as I increase my financial mastery. I am committed to doing the work. Increasing my mastery in sales and marketing is still a work in progress. Learning from sales and marketing experts provides me with ideas for my own business. I have made strides, yet still have work to do. Ideally, I'd love to hire an expert in this area, but I am not there yet. 4. HOLD YOURSELF COMPASSIONATELY ACCOUNTABLE Finally, we must be willing to accept responsibility for the results of our actions. What's working? What needs tweaking? Give yourself permission to be a beginner. Celebrate the small wins. And when you feel tempted to judge yourself harshly, choose compassion instead. When I review my progress and find I am not where I want to be, I notice the frustration. Then, I remind myself, "This is a moment of discomfort. Discomfort is part of life. May I be kind to myself." After I manage the discomfort, I figure out how to skillfully modify my actions. Once you build momentum with the best possible actions for your life, change happens. The key is commitment. So what intentions are you ready to put into action? Make some time and space to consider these four steps. I hope that 2019 is one of your best years yet! Note 1. Capital One offers three free money coaching sessions. For more information, visit www.CapitalOne.com/MoneyCoaching. Amy Andrews McMaster is a certified coach who is passionate about helping individuals, teams, and leaders achieve success, face obstacles, choose courage, build trust, and lead with a growth mind-set. She is excited to become a certified Dare to Lead facilitator later this year. Contact amy@conscioustime.com. Goals and intentions are about moving beyond the safe shores of your security into the adventure of the unknown.