Fear the First

We’re expecting baby girl #2 in mid-June. To say The Intern — our 5 ½-year-old daughter — is thrilled would be an understatement. Michelle and I are thrilled too — despite questioning our sanity in heading back down this path in our late 30s. But overall, thrilled!

This was not the case when I found out we were pregnant with the Intern.

I was thrilled but I was also super stressed out. Stressed about how my life was going to change, stressed about how much it costs to raise a child (pro tip: don’t look up those figures if you’re considering more children!), and stressed about all of the unknowns.

The first time you do anything is hardest because it’s ALL unknowns.

Things have changed a lot for us since The Intern was born. This time, we’ve already got a house that can easily accommodate our new arrival, we’re in even better financial shape to handle the added expenses, and perhaps most importantly, we have a 5 ½-year-old proof of concept that reassures us we should be able to keep #2 alive and well.

Overcoming the fear of the unknown, doing anything for the first time, is the toughest part.

But it’s worth it.

What unknowns are you avoiding?

You’ll sleep better at night when you know you have a guardian named for your kids, an estate plan that reflects your specific wishes, and life insurance to take care of your kids.

You’ll feel good knowing that when your little ones aren’t little anymore and walk across the stage at their college graduation, they’ll head into the world less burdened by crushing student loan debt. Instead, they may have more choices and opportunities because you tackled the unknown and started saving for college when they were born.

And you’ll enjoy family vacation more when you’ve paid for your flights, AirBnB, and car rental upfront and budgeted for your vacation spending ahead of time rather than winging it and worrying about the damage on your credit card statement when you get home.

Whether you’ve been planning for years or are just getting started, I realize how hard it can be to get back on the horse or get in the saddle for the first time.

Rather than let fear hold you back, lean into it instead.

The view — when you look back many years in the future — will be well worth it.

Get blog posts like this one delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up to receive my e-newsletter right here.