Have you ever had an idea that won’t leave you alone? The kind you mention in passing, think about late at night - but never quite act on?

Maybe you’ve gone so far as to write it down, start making plans for it, and mull over how it would work. And then you hit pause, because… It’s just not quite ready yet. It’s not good enough.

Does this strike a chord? I think that most of us can relate to this – I’ve been sitting on one of these ideas myself. I wanted to discuss this topic, which is so common yet rarely talked about. What exactly is it that holds us back from getting our projects out into the world? Why do we resist doing that one thing that would light us up and bring us happiness? Why are we so afraid?

The idea that won’t leave me alone

At least five years ago, I had a seed of an idea. I was toying with the idea that where I'm situated, there’s little community for design studios like mine. There are quite a few designers working within my town, but if you asked me who they were or where to find them, in all honesty, I would struggle to tell you. They’re tucked away in the meandering alleyways and side streets that make up the historic market town where I live and work.

Although there are plenty of designers and other creatives here, we are quite isolated. We don’t tend to collaborate, or even learn of each other's existence – and my question was, why?

I don’t think it’s intentional. More just the way it’s always been. And I got to thinking, “What if we did make the effort to learn about each other? What opportunities could that bring to us, if we came together to share ideas and maybe even collaborate on projects?”

This idea has been lingering for five years: A design festival - a regular event that brings designers and creatives together. And in that time, I’ve made notes about how it will work. I’ve planned everything out, thought about the website and the kind of people that I wanted to invite. And then…I halt. Those thoughts start to intrude. It needs more planning. It’s not quite ready. The time isn’t right.

What is it, exactly, that’s stopping me? I know it’s a good idea – I’ve seen similar models in other communities. But taking that step? I stall every time.

Overcoming the fear

Our resistance always comes to the surface when we are on the verge of doing something that is important to us. Why? We’re afraid. Sometimes, we don’t realise it, but it’s almost always fear that stops us from moving forward, even if it’s something we’re passionate about. Staying stuck feels safer than risking being wrong, visible, or ignored. We put blocks in our way, so that we’re protected from being judged or feeling let down.

The trouble is, when we get stuck in this loop, it’s because we’re in our own heads. We become afraid to share our big ideas, because what if people think it’s stupid? What if they pick it apart and tell us all the reasons why it won’t work?

It’s the fear of uncertainty.

But here’s an idea. What if we were brave, just for a moment, and found just one person to talk through that idea with? Or did just one small thing to get the ball rolling? Message someone, or share a post about it. And what if, in doing that, we realised that no one was judging us. No one laughed at the idea. In fact, what if they told us it sounded great and that we should go for it?

In truth, we can wait forever for things to be perfect. They never will be. So, how about we just… start something?

You don’t need to have it all worked out.

You just need to begin.

So, the question is, what would you do if you didn’t fear the fear?

Pencil me in for October…