What is stopping you? is a question I once got asked within a conversations that become a key turning point in my life.

A question that I ask my clients and athletes to look at what they are trying to achieve and what is stopping them from taking the first step towards that.

An important question to ask

I was first asked this question back in January 2015. I was talking with my psychologist about how much I loved sport, and how I'd been thinking about doing a triathlon for about 10 years.

She challenged me on it. What's stopping you from doing a triathlon?

Such a good question.

It really caused me to pause and think. Good point! What WAS stopping me?

What is stopping you?

In that situation, and in many others since, the only thing (usually) stopping me from making a first step, trying something new or putting myself out there was myself, my limiting beliefs and a negative mindset.

Whether it was that I didn't believe I could do it, or that I was afraid I wouldn't be good enough, the only thing holding me back from doing something I had wanted to do for a long, long time, was me.

That question motivated me to join my local triathlon club and enter Slateman Sprint triathlon three months later.

That led to me racing Ullswater Olympic, Rubicon middle distance triathlon before committing to Ironman Wales (plus a couple other 70.3s along the way).

While I still love triathlon, my Ironman training led me to discover my true passion - cycling and reignited my passion for sports nutrition.

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

The second time I was asked What is stopping you? was January 2017. I wanted to go freelance in my business as a sports dietitian, but I was afraid.

Afraid I wouldn't get enough clients.
Afraid I wasn't good enough as a sports dietitian.
Afraid I would fail.

I was reminded that those fears would never go away, and that if creating my own business was my passion and dream, then I needed to go for it and not let all that negative self-talk nonsense hold me back.

It was one of the hardest leaps I've had to take in my life. I'm not going to say it's been an easy journey. I have learnt a lot. But I have never once regretted taking that jump.

I'm now working in my dream job with amateur and professional cyclists and triathletes in Girona - none of which would have happened without taking that first leap in my business and subsequently to move countries.

Life is too short to live in regret

You never know where things will lead to. Sometimes decisions work in our favour. Other times they don't.

But if we live in fear and hold ourselves back we're never going to get to where we want to go.

Facing our fears helps us to grow and become stronger. It can be hard. But it's worth it.

What is stopping your nutrition and training goals?

Take a moment to think about what is stopping you from making that first step towards achieving your goals?

Identify the first step where you can take action, and do it!

Gemma