Step One, CHECK ✔️
I recently reminded one of my coaching clients that fear often stands for false evidence appearing real.
From where I sit as her coach, I could see so clearly that the thing she was most afraid of, the thing she believed was holding her back, really wasn’t the thing at all. I know her and I know what she’s capable of and I know she’s done hard things before.
What felt clear to me was this: she didn’t need to figure out the whole future. She didn’t need certainty about what things would look like in a month, a year, or five years from now. She simply needed to take the first step… and let that be enough.
When fear lives inside us, it has a way of sounding convincing. It shows up as self-doubt, hesitation, or that familiar inner voice that says, “What if this doesn’t work?” or “What if I mess it up?” From the outside, the solution often looks simple. From the inside, it can feel heavy, even paralyzing.
But here’s the thing I’ve learned, both as a coach and as a human: most of the time, we’re not actually stuck. We’re just standing at the edge of something new. And what helps isn’t solving everything ...it’s taking one small step forward and allowing ourselves to count that as a win.
When the Lesson Turned Inward
Later that same week, I realized I was hesitating to take a first step in my own life too. Coaching is a bit like parenting that way… sometimes you hear your own words reflected right back at you. And I had to smile.
The truth is, I haven’t been sharing my coaching work or my experiences publicly for a couple of years. I even wrote this blog months ago and then let it sit, unpublished. So this isn’t just a small moment of hesitation...it’s something I’ve been gently circling for a while.
I know I’m a good coach. (That sentence used to be hard for me to write.). And I also know this: the women I work with are thriving. They’re showing up differently for themselves, building trust instead of pressure, and making changes that actually last. Witnessing that unfold continues to bring me so much joy and excitement, even after all these years!! It is such an honor to play a part in their success 💖
The pause wasn’t about skill… it was about fear. Fear of being misunderstood. Fear of not having everything perfectly explained.
Fear of sharing more publicly after years of focusing my energy where it mattered most....with my clients.
And yet, one of my core beliefs has never changed: you are the expert on you.
My role has never been to tell people what to do with their lives. My work is about helping people reconnect with their own wisdom… asking thoughtful questions, offering perspective, and creating space for insight to emerge. That’s what I’ve been doing for over 20 years, and it’s work I deeply love.
So why wouldn’t I share it?
Why This Still Matters to Me
Health and wellness have never been a straight line for me and I’ve never believed they should be. My relationship with my body, my weight, and my self-trust has been shaped over decades of real life. Losing 75 pounds 25 years ago was one chapter. Living well, staying connected to myself, and supporting others through their own seasons of change has been the deeper, ongoing work. What I’ve learned along the way is simple and steady: goals shift, seasons change, but meaningful change still starts the same way.
You begin where you are.
You take one honest step.
You stay engaged with the process.
That lens applies to health, relationships, work, parenting and any place in life where you feel a nudge to grow or adjust.
Most people already know more than they think. What gets in the way isn’t a lack of information... it’s hesitation, self-doubt, or trying to do everything at once instead of starting where you are.
Letting the First Step Count
Over the years, my perspective on progress has become clearer. The win isn’t perfection. The win is participating. It's staying in the conversation. It's choosing to begin before everything feels mapped out. It’s staying curious instead of critical. It’s allowing small, aligned steps to build confidence and momentum naturally.
And it’s what I see every day in the women I work with. When the focus shifts from “doing it right” to “staying connected,” things start to move and often faster and more sustainably than expected.
Why I’m Sharing More Now
I’ve been fully immersed in my work for the last 3 years....coaching, building community, supporting clients, and doing the kind of behind-the-scenes work that doesn’t always show up online. This post isn’t about coming back. It’s about speaking up more.
It’s about sharing what I see working, what my clients are creating, and what’s possible when you stop waiting for perfect timing and start engaging with what’s in front of you. If you’ve been standing at the edge of something and thinking about a change, a decision or a next step, I hope this reminds you that clarity often comes after you begin, not before.
A Friendly Invitation
If you’re even a little curious about what I’ve been building lately, come say hi in the Discover Joy in the Journey Village Open House ! It’s a free, no-pressure space where you can poke around, feel the energy, meet the community, and see what’s possible when women support each other in creating confidence, momentum, and sustainable change. I’d genuinely love for you to check it out!! It is a no- pressure space to get a feel for my coaching style, my community, and the way I support women in creating confidence, momentum, and sustainable change. And if this sparked something for you like a thought, a question, or a sense of “this feels familiar”.....I’d love to hear about it!!
✨ Step one shared. Conversation open.
All is well 🌺
Terra
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