Episode 661: 5 Fear-Facing Opportunities to Embrace This Year (Mindset & Self-Care)

EBT661 – 5 Fear-Facing Opportunities to Embrace This Year

Intro  00:01

Hey food bloggers. Thank you so much for joining me in this mindset and self-care focused episode here on Eat Blog Talk. One of the reasons I started a blog talk was to hold a space to talk about the importance of mindset and self-care. Being an entrepreneur can be a lot. If we are not taking care of ourselves, then getting actionable information about SEO Pinterest or whatever else is all moot. I will meet you back here every Wednesday to discuss various mindset and self-care topics. So you have the energy and space to tackle the rest.

[00:00:33]  Megan Porta 

Hey there food bloggers. Welcome to this mindset and self care focused episode of Eat Blog Talk. Welcome. Thank you for joining me. In today’s episode we’re going to talk about 5 fear facing opportunities to embrace this year. And before I get to that, do you ever have those times when you feel like you need a little bit extra grace because you’re feeling off but you still need to get stuff done?

[00:01:01]  Megan Porta 

Yeah, that is me today. I am super sick. But the show must go on. I have a retreat I’m hosting this weekend so I have a list of things I just absolutely have to get through. So bear with me today. I’m super stuffy, but we’re going to get through this awesome episode. Okay?

[00:01:18]  Megan Porta 

You all know that I’m huge on goal setting and sitting down to start each year, to really think through what I want to accomplish and how I want to show up in the coming year. There’s so much power in this and it’s not too late to do this if you haven’t already. In fact, you can literally do this on any day of the year, even if it’s September or July or November or whatever.

[00:01:42]  Megan Porta 

It does not have to be the beginning of the year in order to sit down and set your goals. This year I was inspired to add a new section to my handy little goals Google Doc that was titled 52 Scary Challenges for 2025. Why 52? I guess it seemed fitting to do one scary thing per week this year.

[00:02:05]  Megan Porta 

I’m always open for doing more than that, but this feels like a good baseline for me. And why scary challenges? Because it’s easy to fall into complacency as humans and skate by with our comfy little businesses and comfy little lives. But this is not where the growth happens. We all know this. Yet we tend to shy away from things we’re afraid of because scary things are scary.

[00:02:31]  Megan Porta 

So I figured if I create an actual section of my Goals Doc, which I read through every single day by the way with this as a focus, then maybe I’ll actually follow through with scary challenges this year. I think especially as entrepreneurs, fear often holds us back from reaching our full potential. But what if we could face those fears head on and use them as catalysts for growth?

[00:02:55]  Megan Porta 

In this episode, we are going to explore five areas where diving into your fears can actually push you forward and unlock new opportunities in your life and in your business. You don’t need to create 52 fear facing challenges to tackle this year, but I’m going to encourage you to create five categories containing scary challenges to dive into this year.

[00:03:18]  Megan Porta 

And it doesn’t matter how many you put into each category, but at least get a handful in each of the five categories. And remember, it’s not too late. It’s never too late. So open a fresh, clean new doc and let’s get started.

[03:21] Sponsor (Thei Zervaki) 

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[00:04:18]  Megan Porta 

The first category is Personal Growth. Growing on a personal level often requires us to confront fears about our potential. I get it. It can be so scary to step out of your comfort zone or to try something new that challenges you to grow personally and maybe even in unexpected ways that you don’t know are coming your way yet.

[00:04:40]  Megan Porta 

But pushing through these fears leads to greater self awareness and more confidence. You will be better off on the other side of this year if you challenge yourself to grow on a personal level. And yes, that means tackling some fears that you have. I will share something I’ve committed to doing this year that is a massive stretch for me and way outside my comfort zone.

[00:05:02]  Megan Porta 

I’ve actually mentioned this on the podcast in the past few weeks I think, but my husband and I have joined a local Toastmasters Club. If you’re not familiar with Toastmasters, it is a national organization that helps people improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills in a nutshell. You give speeches and speak off the cuff at times, working to eliminate those filler words and communicating effectively.

[00:05:31]  Megan Porta 

For this introvert talking right now who avoided speaking in front of people for her entire life, this is super scary for me. For the sake of growing on a personal level and gaining some valuable skills along the way, I’ve just known that I need to do this. By taking on personal growth related fears, you are freeing yourself from limiting beliefs and you’re also unlocking the potential to create a more fulfilled and positive life.

[00:05:58]  Megan Porta 

Here are a few ideas to conquer fears. Write and publish a deeply personal blog post that stretches your vulnerability record and post a vulnerable video message sharing a personal insight or a story. Spend an entire weekend in solitude journaling and realigning your goals. Do a silent day challenge. Spend a full day not speaking and observe its impact.

[00:06:23]  Megan Porta 

Oh my gosh. I think I would love this. Adopt a beginner’s mindset by committing to a completely new skill or activity for one week or more. Publicly commit to a big goal and provide updates about it. Share a fearless challenge with your audience and document your journey. You could also prompt your audience to join you in that endeavor.

[00:06:45]  Megan Porta 

Be unapologetically bold for 24 hours or more. Say what you mean, and make decisive moves during that time. Let someone else plan your day and follow their lead. I love this one. Declutter ruthlessly for a day, removing anything that’s not aligned with your vision or your purpose. Try something brand new, whether it’s taking up a new hobby or speaking publicly.

[00:07:07]  Megan Porta 

Challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone and set stretch goals. Create personal growth goals that push you to achieve more than you thought possible, like starting a meditation practice or trying a new type of exercise that you haven’t done before. Number two, Professional growth. I actually think it’s harder to take the leap into professional fears versus personal fears because everyone is watching you.

[00:07:34]  Megan Porta 

And the idea of sucking with an audience is even scarier than doing it in private. I think we should embrace sucking, by the way. By that I mean showing up imperfectly. The only way to move forward with your big business goals is to keep showing up, step after step, day after day, month after month, year after year, sometimes even decade after decade.

[00:07:58]  Megan Porta 

Even when it feels messy because we all have an audience who sees us in all our glory. So messy. Mistakes, flaws, all of the good stuff. It becomes a hundred times scarier to put ourselves out there with our business businesses. Fear can show up in an array of ways in our businesses too.

[00:08:17]  Megan Porta 

Whether it’s fear of failure fear of success. Fear of the unknown. Fear of rejection. Fear of looking stupid. Fear of saying something stupid. Fear of not being liked. There are so many fears that are baked into our businesses, but facing these fears is imperative to moving forward in your business do you know how scary it was to launch a podcast for food bloggers?

[00:08:42]  Megan Porta 

I had all the fears before starting Eat Blog Talk. Everything I mentioned a minute ago, plus some who was I to take on a project like this? I knew not everyone was going to receive me or like me, and that in itself felt like a good reason not to start. I was a terrible interviewer to start and I knew I’d sound like an idiot for at least the first hundred episodes.

[00:09:07]  Megan Porta 

But I also knew that this scary thing aligned with my purpose and it would help so many people along the way. Thank goodness I did not allow that huge list of fears to stop me from starting Eat Blog Talk. By tackling fears relating to professional growth, whether they’re big or small ones, you will open up the door for greater opportunities in your business.

[00:09:31]  Megan Porta 

You’ll also unlock the confidence to pursue your dreams in a new way. Here are some ideas to conquer fears in this category. Apply to speak at a conference or event. Apply to be on a podcast such as Eat Blog Talk. I hope to see your application come through. Propose a collaboration with someone you admire, but maybe you find them a little bit intimidating.

[00:09:52]  Megan Porta 

Host a live Q and A session on Instagram or YouTube or Facebook. Record a Day in the Life video showing behind the scenes insights. I love those. Develop a pitch for a Dream Business Partnership Dedicate an entire month to focusing on one major business goal. Revamp a major area of your business so it could be your website, branding, membership, or other offerings you have.

[00:10:16]  Megan Porta 

Pitch a new idea. Make a list of things you’ve been hesitant to propose and take action to actually pitch them and learn a new skill. Whether it’s a new software strategy or a new area of expertise, the fear of being behind in our industry can be overcome by committing to learning something new.

[00:10:35]  Megan Porta 

Number three, Community. This one is extra scary because it involves people. Those living, breathing beings who can be prone to judgment and gossip and negativity. In my experience, this negative viewpoint has actually stopped me from forging into a group of people. And it’s also stopped me from engaging with people at all at times.

[00:10:57]  Megan Porta 

For the longest time, I allowed my people fears to hold me back from growing in just about every area. I hated the idea of being judged or talked about, or of having to deal with negative comments and reviews. But then I realized that there is a flip side. There’s also the viewpoint that those living, breathing beings can be prone to encouragement and support and positivity and connection and love.

[00:11:23]  Megan Porta 

By focusing on the negative possibilities of how people can show up in my life, I was missing out on all of the positive experiences with people. When we think about expanding our community or getting more involved, it’s so easy to start fearing that judgment. It’s easy to be afraid of how others might perceive us.

[00:11:42]  Megan Porta 

But diving into that fear will help you find support, inspiration, and growth. This might be one of the scariest challenges out there because of the whole people thing, which also means it’ll be the most rewarding once you commit to it. Engaging with community both in and out of work will help you to feel connected, supported and valued, which in turn encourages a positive growth mindset.

[00:12:07]  Megan Porta 

I have to acknowledge the ping pong sound going on right next door to me. Going back to that whole Grace thing. I don’t have time to record this later, so I’m doing it now while my son and husband play ping pong. Okay, here are some ideas to conquer fears in the area of community.

[00:12:25]  Megan Porta 

Host a local meetup or a retreat in your city for your community or for peers you’ve been wanting to get to know. So maybe fellow food bloggers or entrepreneurs. It is so much fun to get together in person for an afternoon or a couple of days. I love this option. Send a thoughtful card, gift or email or maybe even a text to one person every day for a week.

[00:12:49]  Megan Porta 

I was thinking different people each day, but I guess you could bombard one person. Give genuine, unsolicited praise daily for one week. Join a group or a club entirely out of your usual interests, like Toastmasters. Attend a social or networking event solo on your own completely to meet new people. Collaborate with another entrepreneur to create a joint project.

[00:13:15]  Megan Porta 

Organize or join a charity project to give back to your community. Say yes to every reasonable invitation you receive for two weeks. I’m doing this one right now. It’s super fun. Plan and lead an ambitious family adventure either for your immediate family or maybe extended family. If you’ve been holding back from sharing your story on social media or within your community, this could be the year to put yourself out there in that way.

[00:13:41]  Megan Porta 

Whether it’s through partnerships, guest blogging, or hosting events, take the leap into working with others in your community. 4. Courageous action this is my favorite category of all the ones we’re discussing today. I’ve always been inclined to tackle scary challenges like the ones we’ll discuss in this section. They just feel fun and they come with great rewards.

[00:14:04]  Megan Porta 

Taking courageous action is a signal to the universe, God, whoever your higher power is, that you are courageous. You are bold, you are fearless. You are willing to experiment with tackling scary challenges in order to grow. Think of those people either in or out of our industry, or maybe just people outside of our work world entirely, who do really brave, bold things that make the rest of us go, whoa, I can’t believe she just did that.

[00:14:32]  Megan Porta 

How incredible that she just did that. Take note of those times when you’re blown away by another person’s boldness. When you start taking regular courageous action, people will be whoaeing all over you and there’s something about doing courageous things that just brings greatness your way. Taking that bold, courageous action means embracing fear but moving through it anyway, even though it’s scary and allowing in the good stuff.

[00:14:59]  Megan Porta 

The magic. Acting courageously proves to you and to others that you are capable of more than you think you are and maybe more than they thought you were, which leads to greater confidence and that magic momentum. Here are some ideas to conquer fears in this category say no to every request or opportunity that does not align with your vision or your purpose.

[00:15:22]  Megan Porta 

For a week. Commit to a no Fear month where you say yes to all opportunities that scare you. Pitch 1 Impossible opportunity per week for a month. See what happens. Try a high adrenaline activity like skydiving, whitewater rafting or zip lining. Take part in a public speaking, writing, photography or poetry competition. Take a solo weekend retreat to reflect.

[00:15:46]  Megan Porta 

Maybe hike and just get recharged. Make a significant financial investment in your growth so you could hire a coach or join a mastermind group or something along those lines. Submit a guest article or a personal story to a national publication. Plan a day completely free of structure, letting spontaneity guide you. Say what you mean without overthinking for an entire day.

[00:16:08]  Megan Porta 

Oh my goodness, how hard would that be? Identify a big audacious goal and break it down into actionable steps. Let that fear of taking the first step compel you to take action. Embrace the uncomfortable feelings that come with doing something new, understanding that they are part of the growth process. Number five Health and well being Finances.

[00:16:31]  Megan Porta 

I’m putting health and well being and finances in the same category because they kind of play together, but mostly because I don’t go past five points in these episodes and I want to cover all of this. Whether it’s fear of not feeling or looking good enough or fear of not having enough, both health and Finances can hold significant weight in our lives.

[00:16:52]  Megan Porta 

I think in the health and wellness realm, a lot of the fear surrounding moving forward with a plan comes from leaving discomfort. Food is yummy, alcohol is fun. Working out sucks. Weights are heavy. Kale gets really old after a while. Ice cream is so delicious. Pizza is the best thing in the world.

[00:17:11]  Megan Porta 

Running on purpose is the most uncomfortable thing ever. Doing the things that are going to actually make a dent in your health and wellness journey are uncomfortable. There’s no other way to say it. Some of them very uncomfortable. Most of us know that the payoffs are huge though. Putting in the reps, putting the right booths in your fridge and your tummy.

[00:17:31]  Megan Porta 

Taking the steps day after day helps us to feel good and to show up in the best way possible for ourself and for our loved ones. On the realm of finances, the same thing applies. It’s fun to shop on Amazon and order takeout a couple times a week and go on endless luxurious vacations.

[00:17:50]  Megan Porta 

Budgeting and sticking to a set spending amount and limiting eating out and book buying or whatever your personal weakness might be. Mine is definitely book buy can feel uncomfortable as well. But again, like with health and wellness, the payoffs can be huge. Sticking to a set budget, limiting expenses, assessing expenses, regularly, investing wisely, putting money in savings every month.

[00:18:17]  Megan Porta 

These things help our financial situation to improve over time, therefore making us more comfortable and at ease with our businesses. Tackling those fears that come along with financial discomfort and health and wellness discomfort. So really committing to doing uncomfortable things in these areas regularly will help to reduce stress, it’ll create stability and it will encourage a greater sense of control and well being in your life and in your business.

[00:18:46]  Megan Porta 

Here are some ideas to conquer fears in these areas. Train for and finish a 10K, a half marathon or maybe even a marathon or one of those obstacle course race thingies that challenges your fitness. Follow a strict meal plan for 30 days such as Whole 30 or doing a plant based diet or a sugar detox or something like that and track your results.

[00:19:10]  Megan Porta 

Set a goal to achieve a specific physical milestones such as mastering, I don’t know, 10 pull ups, holding a three minute plank or hiking a really challenging trail. Schedule a doctor’s appointment or some sort of medical appointment that you’ve been avoiding. So maybe getting blood work done, seeing a specialist about something or a nutritionist.

[00:19:33]  Megan Porta 

Dedicate an entire weekend to a wellness retreat or just a tech free detox. Focusing on your mental wellness and getting more clear with your mind, being more mindful, giving your system a rest. Identify a revenue milestone that feels slightly out of reach and create a detailed plan so you can achieve it. Invest in a new opportunity such as a rental property or stocks so you can start building some passive income.

[00:20:02]  Megan Porta 

Commit to paying off a significant chunk of debt so medical bills or credit cards, whatever debt you’ve let pile up and do so within a given time frame. So maybe the next quarter or six months or so. Commit to tracking 100% of your spending and income for three months to gain clarity on your financial habits and to have more knowledge about the areas that you can grow in.

[00:20:27]  Megan Porta 

Approach a current or potential brand for a partnership, negotiate a high level partnership, or increase an existing agreement to a level you’ve never pursued before. And that’s all I have for you. In this episode we talked about five beer basing opportunities to embrace this year. The categories are Personal Growth, Professional Growth, Community, Courageous Action and Health and well Being Finances.

[00:20:56]  Megan Porta 

If you are feeling hesitant about what we’ve talked about in this episode, start with doing just one scary thing per category and commit to doing that this year. If you’re feeling brave, choose five or more scary things per category. Write them down, read them daily and follow through. Take action. Your year will thank you.

[00:21:19]  Megan Porta 

You will thank you in a year. By diving in with intention and courage, you are going to open the doors for growth, success and fulfillment. Stop allowing fear to stand in your way. Use it as a guide to push you forward. Thank you for listening and for all the grace from this episode.

[00:21:41]  Megan Porta 

I will see you next week. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week.

Outro 

Thank you so much for listening to this mindset and self-care episode here on Eat Blog Talk. If you are a food blogger providing a service for other food bloggers, and you want to spread the word about the value that you offer. I would love to offer you a free way to do just this. Send me a 60 second audio clip to be featured in a mindset and self-care episode here on Eat Blog Talk. Go to eatblogtalk.com/audioclip to learn more.