Doing It Afraid: The Courage to Name What’s Holding You Back

Posted on July 07, 2025 by Inhye Yang, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.

1. The Resistance Before the Breakthrough
There’s a moment in every meaningful journey when something resists—a hesitation, a fear, a pattern too familiar to see clearly, and too costly to ignore. As a person and a coach who has spent more than a decade in intercultural, high-stakes environments, I’ve learned that progress often requires naming what’s been left unsaid.

My work is about that tension: the space between knowing what you want and not knowing how to move toward it. I work with individuals and leaders who are willing—often with trembling hands—to bring their stuck places into the light. Because clarity is not born from comfort. It comes from the courage to look directly at what’s been holding you back.

Sometimes that resistance is internal—fear of failure, imposter syndrome, perfectionism. Other times it’s relational—cultural misunderstandings, unspoken values clashes, or breakdowns in communication. But no matter the source, the path forward starts with naming.

2. Doing It Afraid
Feedback from others can be powerful, but if it isn’t met with a measure of honesty and a commitment to faithfully show up in the chasm between what is and what could be, hope remains unfulfilled.

I call it “doing it afraid.” And every time someone dares to move forward despite their fear, something powerful begins to shift.

The good news is that as you take even a small step into the journey of transformation, you may be surprised by the potential you already carry to make meaningful change. It begins with a heart willing to believe in the possibility that working together is not only possible—but essential.

And by “working together,” I don’t just mean with others. I mean with all of who you are: the version of you that feels stuck or frustrated, and the version of you that has overcome despite the chasm you feel inside.

3. The Invitation to Change
The word “reconciliation” goes deeper than how we feel. I’ve found that it often begins with an invitation—a simple yet brave decision to believe that change is possible. That belief gives you the grit to stay in the discomfort long enough for transformation to take root.

Maybe you’ve heard it said that courage is not the absence of fear, but how you choose to show up in the presence of it—even when the fear feels very real.

All that to say, what I genuinely want you to know is this:

You are not alone in this. So don’t give up now.