Years ago, before I was blessed with children, I had an opportunity to spend a wonderful week of holiday on the NSW ski slopes with my husband. He had learned to ski as a child, and was capable of skiing 'black' runs, whilst I had never skied before. We decided that I would take 2-hour lessons each morning with an instructor, and then we'd meet up at lunch time and ski the 'easier' slopes together in the afternoon.

I picked up the skills required fairly quickly, and with my ski instructor or my husband by my side to supervise me I showed a great deal of confidence and ability. By the end of the week, after 10 hours of instruction, my lessons were over. I had some time before I was to meet my husband for lunch, so I decided to tackle a slightly harder ski run on my own.

There was a T-bar lift on a slope which I'd been skiing for most of the week. During lessons my instructor and I would disembark at a flat level half way up the slope. There was another flat level further up, followed by a steep rise to the peak. I decided to venture up to the higher flat level and disembark.

When I approached the second flat level I called out to the two gentlemen ahead of me on the T-bar to let them know I was disembarking, and to be aware that my T-bar may swing towards them. It was unlikely, but I decided to warn them as a courtesy. Their response both surprised and intimidated me: "If your bar hits me," said one man, "I'll sue you!" I gulped. The other man scowled, "You shouldn't be on this lift if you can't cope with the slope!" So, rather than disembark I found my skis angling upwards as I continued on the steep slope to the peak.

When I reached the peak I felt panicked, I felt nervous, I wondered how I would take on this challenge. I believed that I was not ready for this challenge. And then, for a moment, I stopped thinking, and just noticed how beautiful it was at the top of the mountain. The snow was somehow crisper, or cleaner, and more powdery. The sky seemed more blue, up there above the foggy mist. The air was more fresh. It was truly a beautiful moment, in that moment.

A cough, perhaps a giggle or a smirk, brought my attention back to my surroundings. It was the two gentlemen whom I had allowed to intimidate me. They seemed to be watching me, as if they were waiting for me to attempt this challenge so they could watch me fail. I edged my way over to the ground were the drop became steep. I peered over the slope, and 'knew' that I could not do this. How foolish was I to think that I could ever tackle a higher peak?!

"Hey, check you out here at the top of the hill! Nice one!" It was my ski instructor, having a quick run between sessions, who had just turned up by my trembling side. "Hi Ian, I'm so glad you're here, I don't know how I ended up here, I shouldn't be here, I'm beyond my capabilities. Can you teach me how to get down the hill?" "You already know how to get down. You've been doing it all week! Remember, ski across the mountain, rather than straight down. Lean downhill to turn. When you want to slow down make your skis look like an upside-down 'V'! Just do what you've been doing all along and you'll be fine", and then he grinned and 'Whoo-hoooo'd" his way down the slope.

And that when I realised..... It's not what I know or don't know that holds me back. It's what I believe to be true or not true that holds me back. I had no belief in my abilities. My instructor had a lot of belief in my abilities. My perception that I couldn't ski this slope was creating my reality. Whilst I had this belief, there was no ability.

"Left, right, 'V', left, right, 'V', you have done this so well on many occassions, this is just a bigger slope. You are going to do this..." and with a quick look around (the two gentlemen had clearly become bored with my anxiety as they were no longer at the top of the hill), I pushed myself over the top of the slope.

How many times have you found yourself in a position that you felt was out of your comfort zone? Perhaps you were saying "Yes" out of intimidation and ended up leading a project that you didn't feel ready for? Have you fallen victim to your inner saboteur? A lot of my coaching clients already know what to do, it is the fear of failing, and their inner-saboteur that prevents them from confidently achieving their goals. Do you know someone like that?