We all face obstacles in life and business but sometimes we have to face the fact that these can be self imposed. Ever found yourself thinking 'I can't have this or do that because of my family, children, dog, bank balance....' It is only natural to be afraid when facing an unknown situation but is fear stopping you from having your dream life?

Rather than waiting for fear to go away take steps to improve your confidence:

• Identify the pay-offs for your common fears e.g. being comfortable, avoiding rejection, not making decisions. These are what will be keeping you from taking action. Once acknowledged you can then make the decision about what changes you need to make. For example if you are afraid of speaking in public your pay-off for not making presentations may be that you don't risk any possible rejection or feeling uncomfortable in front of groups of people. This may be OK if your job doesn't require you to talk to others about your business but could be a problem if you need to promote yourself and your work, whether this is to clients or future employers.

• Notice and change the language you use. Shift from fearful 'I can't', to fearless 'I will', and from 'It's a problem' to 'It's an opportunity'

• Create a support or master mind group to provide positive encouragement and a sounding board for solutions and approaches.

• Take responsibility for yourself and your actions and increase your sense of worth and power by acknowledging that you can be in control and make decisions.

• Avoid the blame game. It is very easy to stop yourself from moving forward when you see an external event or person as being the reason not to take action

• Build your confidence by stepping out of your comfort zone safely and recognising your achievements.

• Set yourself time for 'positive thinking only' hours or days. It is amazing how much time we waste on worrying about the worst possible outcomes which may never happen. As Benjamin Franklin, US author, diplomat, inventor, physicist, politician, & printer (1706 - 1790) said, "Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight".

• Be aware of the different choices you have in any situation

• Take action. Small steps can lead to huge leaps. Start by researching, asking questions, meeting people who have made the changes you want to make.

Finally enjoy the process! Keeping a sense of perspective and humour will help move you forward towards your dream life.