My name is Amanda and I am a control freak. From the time I was a child, I have been one of those people who likes to know exactly what to expect out of a situation, and have frequently let the fear of either the unknown or what people would think of me influence my decisions.

All through high school, I wanted to try out for the annual musical, but the thought of singing in front of people and having them tell me I wasn’t any good, stopped me doing that.

All my life, I wanted to be a dancer, but thought “I’ve never done it before…I’ll be the only one who doesn’t know what they’re doing” or “I’m too unfit” or [insert other excuse].

I avoided situations – in both my personal and professional lives – where I wasn’t confident I knew exactly how well I could perform, for fear I would make a fool of myself. So I kept plodding along that same old path and, while life was fine, there was always a sense of playing it safe.

Then, suddenly, four years ago everything changed. Our daughter Sophia was born at 30 weeks, shaking my well-planned life to the core. But her fight for life, and the couple of tough years that came after, was a pivotal turning point in my life.

It changed my perspective on what was important, and led to me beginning to take risks for the first time in my life.

I took a voluntary redundancy from the Australian Public Service in mid-2010, giving up an 11 year career and an Executive Level position, to start a little website called HerCanberra the following January. Its growth has surpassed my wildest dreams and has given me so much happiness.

I joined the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation, losing 13 kgs and becoming fitter than perhaps I’d ever been. I learned to run, I lifted heavy weights, I did physical things I never thought I would do. Three years on, I’m still a healthy weight and pretty damn fit.

I set myself the goal of learning to dance by the time I was 40…that birthday was last Friday and I’ve not only learned to dance salsa (solo and partner) but I’ve been a zumba instructor for a year and a half.

I realised that I didn’t want to get to the end of my life and ask “What if?” about anything.

The last few years have been alternately terrifying and exhilarating. As my friend Amanda says, it’s about ‘leaning into the discomfort’…or, as international author, Susan Jeffers, says ‘feeling the fear and doing it anyway.’

Walking into a dance class when you’re the only person who’s never had a lesson before is pretty intimidating.

Performing a salsa routine in front of several hundred people with only a few tassles covering your then-nearly-40-year-old-butt is bloody scary…(I am not exaggerating – see photo at top right!)

Taking a chance and following your dream, even though you know it may not be easy and is going to be a long, hard slog can be frightening.

Making the decision to do something that is just so completely different from anything you’ve done before takes guts.

But let me tell you, the rewards of saying ‘yes’ to life’s experiences are incredible. The benefits in terms of confidence and self-esteem, in motivation, and in trusting yourself to make the right decisions…they’re amazing. The feeling of achievement that comes from being able to say “I did that” is incomparable. Push out of your comfort zone and you’ll see.

So many of the amazing things that have happened in my life these past few years are a direct result of my decision to ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’. I can’t encourage you strongly enough to do the same…it will change your life.

When have you felt the fear and done it anyway?