Phone calls from unknown numbers. Calling someone and they actually pick up. Getting a voice mail and they want me to call them back. Someone’s preferred method of communication is phone calls. These are all things that make me very uncomfortable. I feel a pain in my chest as my heart beats faster. I feel a little sick to my stomach and the stress starts to overcome me. Anxiety and panic start to set in.

I let this fear hold me back far too long. I let it take away from my professional success and personal happiness. Until one day I had had enough. When I wasn’t in a state of panic I concluded a few things:

1. The fear of the phone call is most definitely worse than the actual phone call.
2. I always feel better when I am finished.
3. I can be afraid and still make the call.

The most important one being I can be afraid and still call. My fear hasn’t gone away. I still feel sick to my stomach but I do it anyways. But I have found my bookings have significantly increased. I have better communication with my clients and I can feel proud of my accomplishments rather than continued dread over what I felt I should be doing.

So make a list of those people you need to be calling and just do it. Do it afraid. Do it even if you are unsure of yourself. Do it even if you are busy (phone calls can be super quick). Do it even if you really don’t want to. Get it done and let go of that stress.

Right before writing this I made two phone calls I had been putting off all day just to be warmly welcomed by one and was able to answer a few quick questions from another, and I survived to tell the tale, the boring, uneventful tale of the phone calls.