We all know change is hard. You say you want to quit your job or get into a relationship, but you don’t take the necessary steps to get there. Something in your past has made moving forward feel unsafe, so you wait for a sense of safety to descend upon you. Only it doesn’t happen. When you wait, you give your power away to something outside yourself that you have no control over. And opportunities that once existed may be gone by the time you start to make a move.

Let’s say you want to quit your job, but you wait until you feel safe enough to take the leap—maybe a sign or another job offer. Then you get fired and start to panic. You’re getting what you want, but not in the way you wanted or on your timeline. Maybe there was a job opportunity a few months back in a different industry that you were afraid to pursue and now it’s gone. Your choices are now more limited and you feel the pressure of time.

If you feel yourself wanting to make a change, but are waiting for the stars to align, look at the fears that hold you back. They are likely old. Once you identify your fears, take a step toward them. If you wait for something external to change, you give your control away… and with that, potential opportunities. To get what you want, take the bull by the horns and step into the unknown. When you initiate change on your own terms you take your power back.