20 years ago, I got into a minor moped accident. My broken arm healed, but I never quite got over a fear of mopeds, motorcycles and any other motorized open-air vehicles for that matter.
Last week, however, my family and I took a vacation and we had the opportunity to ride ATVs to a remote location with beautiful scenery that could not have been reached otherwise. I very reluctantly signed up, knowing that this would be a great experience for the rest of them.
When the activity started, we had an instructional session with our guide with safety precautions, etc. As I turned the vehicle on and inched out of the lot for the first time, all of my fears returned, and keeping pace with the group was a challenge. But a funny thing happened: with each moment that nothing went wrong I grew more confident, my fears dissipated to a large degree, and though there was still a healthy dose of balancing risk and reward, I was able to keep up with the group, enjoy the beautiful scenery and create a lasting memory.
Part of what got me there was turning my fear into positive thinking. I took myself from "I am afraid of open-air vehicles" to "I will sign up for the activity" to "I will keep up with all the others doing the exact same activity as I am" to "I will put this fear in its appropriate place and enjoy every moment of this experience." Sure, there were moments where other (daredevil!) drivers were airing it out a bit more than I was over bumpy terrain, but I used my own coaching techniques to take myself somewhere I didn't think I could go.
This is what coaches do: we help our clients with this process. We help you get "unstuck" when you are stuck in a position or situation that doesn't allow for progress. We don't ride the ATV for you, but we'll help you think about a plan and strategy for you to get on it yourself, and the reward is the journey.