Sometimes our lack of courage is evidenced by a tendency to procrastinate constantly putting off the reinvention process. Or, as NCAA coach Lou Holtz once observed, “When all is said and done, usually more is said than done.” Why? Maybe because we don’t know what we really want (unclear/unknown goals), or we have so many interests and abilities that we can’t seem to commit to any one of them for fear of losing the chance to work in the other areas, or find fault with our alternatives, or because, quite simply, we’re insecure and unsure of ourselves.

Reinvention also can be stymied by a fear of change and its consequences known and unknown. We’re afraid to take risks (Kanchier, 2000). Though it’s change we seek, disruptions of familiar patterns and routines stop some of us dead in our tracks. And what about the consequences of making a change or, my goodness, changes? Certainly there are those among us whose fear of the unknown and/or unpredictable effects of change holds us hostage to our present situation. And what about what we’ll be giving up? Sure, you really are miserable in your job, but it’s your job, you have paid your dues in every sense and have earned the reward of a certain level of job security are you sure you want to give that up? Won’t others think you’re crazy to, of your own free will, risk job security which is so hard to come by? And what about the financial risk? And loss of status? Are you willing to sacrifice your happiness for the title on the door or your seniority on the floor? Are there too many unknowns? Too many sacrifices?

What about your faith in yourself? Do you trust your own judgment? Do you know your own strengths in terms of your talents, assets, resources, etc.? Do you think you can stand being “new” or at the “beginning” again, even in a higher position? What about having to learn to get along with new supervisors and co-workers? Come to think of it, it’s amazing anyone ever moves on, isn’t it?

Fear is a huge factor (Helfand, 1995). In fact, the biggest barriers to reinvention include three of our biggest fears: fear of change; fear of failure; and fear of success. Add to that perfectionism; and anxiety, stress, or depression, and it’s amazing anyone reinvents themselves at all.

What a successful the topic “fear of failure” has become. There are hundreds of books published on failure! I recommend anything that helps you see failure as a lesson learned about what doesn’t work and a chance to make lemonade out of lemons. Remember, 3M post-its were the result of a failed Research and Development glue project!

And what if we do succeed? Oh, my, then what will we do? What else have we missed? Can we stand the guilt? Can we live happily ever after in our new situation? Will our colleagues who we left behind make our lives miserable? Can we stand the fact that we did well?