Become the woman who backs herself.
Move past fear and old beliefs so you can finally take the step you've been putting off.
A printable workbook for women
ready for their next chapter.
$25 NZD.
What’s Stopping Me?
The Next Chapter Courage Workbook
Does this sound familiar?
You've been thinking about it for a while now.
Maybe your life has changed. The kids have left home, your marriage has ended, the job has gone, or retirement is suddenly real. And you keep asking yourself, "What now?"
Maybe you've spent years looking after everyone else. Now there's a bit of room for you, and you're not even sure what you like anymore.
Maybe nothing is really wrong. Life is okay. But you have this quiet feeling that there's more, and you don't want to look back and wish you'd tried.
You might even know what you want.
More time for yourself. A new job. A fresh start somewhere new. Something that's just yours.
And yet something keeps getting in the way.
"What if I get it wrong?" "What will people think?" "I'm too old to start again." "I'll do it when things settle down."
So you wait. You start, then stop. You tell yourself next month.
I want you to know that's completely normal. In my experience, it's nearly always one of two things: fear, or the beliefs we've carried for years about what's possible for us.
And once you can name what's in your way, you can start to work with it.
Imagine knowing what you want your next chapter to be…
Imagine waking up and not having that same conversation in your head again.
You know what's been holding you back. You've named it. And it doesn't have the same grip anymore.
Imagine the house is quiet, and instead of wondering "What now?", you've booked the course. Or the trip. Or the coffee with someone already doing the work you'd love to do.
Imagine saying no to something you'd normally say yes to, and feeling okay about it. Because this time, you're making room for you.
Imagine the old voice pops up, "Who do you think you are?", and you notice it, smile, and carry on anyway.
Imagine telling a friend, "I've started," and meaning it.
You don't need to feel brave first. Courage usually comes after the first step, not before it.
You won't suddenly be fearless. But you'll know what to do when fear shows up, and that changes everything.
That's what this workbook is for.
This isn't another thing on your to-do list. It's how you become the woman who backs herself.
Who you become
From waiting until you feel ready, to taking the step while you still feel the fear
From "Who am I to want this?" to "Why not me?"
From starting and stopping, to keeping the promises you make to yourself
From fear in the driver's seat, to fear just along for the ride
From putting everyone else first, to making room for you, without the guilt
What’s Inside the Next Chapter Courage Workbook
The Courage Workbook is the middle step in my Next Chapter framework: Clarity, Courage, Action. It's built in three parts, so you can work through one a week at your own pace. Each part takes around 30 to 40 minutes.
Part 1: Fear
You learn to feel the fear and keep going anyway.Three simple steps to manage fear when it shows up
A page to get every fear out of your head and onto paper
What's in my control: sort your worries so your energy goes where it makes a difference
The Fear Exercise: a 10-minute guided process to find what's really underneath the feeling
The rocking chair test, to help you let go of waiting until you're sure
Part 2: Mindset
You stop living by old stories about who you are.Fixed and growth mindset, and which one is running the show
Identify your limiting beliefs: tick the ones that sound familiar and see the real reason behind each
Where did this belief come from? Whose voice does it sound like?
Four ways to manage limiting beliefs when old patterns pop up
Re-framing: is it true, is it really true, and what's the new belief?
Part 3: Taking your first step
You start acting like the woman who's already made the change.Act as if: a simple way to behave like the woman who's already made the change
Head and heart: check your decision isn't only coming from your shoulds
My one small step, so small it feels almost too easy
A 7-day check-in to keep you moving
A one-page reminder for when fear comes back
Plus a belief scale at the start and end, so you can see how far you've come.
It's a printable PDF you download straight away. Grab a cup of tea, a pen, and start where you are.
This workbook is for you if...
You have some idea of what you want, but something keeps stopping you
You've started a few times and lost your nerve
You're starting again after divorce, redundancy, retirement or the kids leaving home
You've spent years putting everyone else first and you're ready to make time for you
Your life is okay, but you know there's more
You're ready to stop waiting until you feel brave
A Note From Allison
I know what it's like to let fear get in the way.
In my 20s I was living in London and I had lots of fears that held me back. I've also spent much of my life trying to discover what I loved and what mattered to me. I started out as a teacher, then moved into recruitment and HR, and later found my way to coaching.
Working out what I wanted was one thing. Finding the confidence and courage to make it happen was another.
So I did the work. I uncovered the patterns that stopped me from living life well. And for over 20 years now, I've been helping women navigate change and step into their next chapter.
What I see with so many of my clients is this: they often know what they want. It's fear, or an old belief, that keeps them stuck.
This workbook is the process I use with them. Some of the activities come from my course, Living Life with Passion & Purpose, so think of it as a taste of that deeper work.
You don't have to do this perfectly. You just have to start.
I've been there. I've learnt from it. And I'll walk alongside you.
Allison x
"I was given the confidence to make the steps to change my career and it enabled me to think more openly. There was nothing additional I could have asked for, the help and support I received was fantastic."
Senior Manager, Auckland
What women say about working with Allison
"Allison has helped me to come to some clear realisations of where I am at, where I want to be and of course how I can achieve that. I can happily say that I have emerged from the rabbit hole that I had found myself in and I would highly recommend her services. I am confident that regardless of what happens, I have finally regained confidence in my capabilities."
Maria, Operations Manager
"Allison gave me an outside perspective on some of my passions and how I could move forward with a series of steps that were extremely helpful. She identified my skills and capabilities and helped me really identify what my passions were, encouraging me to aim higher, change things up, and have more purpose in my life."
Brigid Galletly, Sales Executive
"Allison has considerable experience as a life coach and just knows the right thing to say and when to support, encourage, and challenge you to grow."
Delia, Auckland
Your next step starts here
What's Stopping Me? The Next Chapter Courage Workbook
$25 NZD
The full printable workbook, three parts
Instant download as soon as you buy
Work through it at your own pace, over about a week
Founding member bonus: When you buy the workbook, you'll get first access to my new community when it opens in January 2027, at the founding member rate.
By the last page, you'll have chosen your one small step, when you'll do it, and who you'll tell. That's where courage turns into action.
Remember, courage isn't about not being scared.
It's about taking a step while you still feel it.
You've waited long enough. Let's begin.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
What's Stopping Me? is a printable PDF workbook by Allison Fisher, a New Zealand change coach, for women who know what they want but feel held back by fear or old beliefs. It costs $25 NZD and is an instant download. It walks you through three parts: fear, mindset, and taking your first step.
-
The Courage Workbook has three parts, and each one takes around 30 to 40 minutes. Allison suggests working through one part at a time over about a week, so you have time to think between each one.
-
The Clarity Compass helps you work out what you want, and the Courage Workbook helps you work through what's stopping you. They're the first two steps in Allison Fisher's Next Chapter framework: Clarity, Courage, Action. If you don't know what you want yet, start with the free Clarity Compass first.
-
The Courage Workbook points you to the pages that will help your quiz result most. There are suggestions for each result: The Perfectionist, The People Pleaser, The Overthinker and The Doubter.
-
Everyone who buys the Courage Workbook gets first access to Allison Fisher's new community when it opens in January 2027, at the founding member rate.
-
There are no refunds on the Courage Workbook, because it's a digital product you download straight away. If you have a question before you buy, email allison@allisonfisher.co.nz.
-
You can stop fear from holding you back by learning to work with it, rather than waiting for it to go away. In the Courage Workbook, Allison Fisher uses three steps: acknowledge the fear, let yourself feel it, then reassure yourself that it's a feeling, not a fact. Fear can come along for the ride. Just don't let it be the driver.
-
A limiting belief is a thought about yourself that feels like a fact but isn't, such as "I'm too old" or "I'm not smart enough". Most limiting beliefs form early in life and go unquestioned for years. The Courage Workbook helps you check each one with two questions, "Is it true?" and "Is it really true?", then reframe it into a new belief.
-
Courage to change careers later in life usually comes after the first step, not before it. Allison Fisher, who moved from teaching into recruitment and HR before coaching, suggests one small step that feels almost too easy, like booking a coffee with someone already doing the work. The Courage Workbook also helps you check whether "I'm too old" is really true.
-
Starting again after a big life change begins with working out what you want, then what's stopping you, then your next step. That's Allison Fisher's Next Chapter framework: Clarity, Courage, Action. The free Clarity Compass covers the first step, and the Courage Workbook covers the second.
Still have a question? Email allison@allisonfisher.co.nz.
I'd love to hear from you.
© Copyright Allison Fisher | All Rights Reserved