How does fear serve you?
This question really comes into play for me at this time of year. You see, this is when I start forecasting next year’s marketing agenda and goals. And, of course, when I look at where I desire to be in the next 12 months, that’s when fear rears its ugly head. The first thing that pops in my mind is, “AACK! I can’t do that… I’m too scared to pull it off!”
Thankfully I’ve developed my “other” inner voice inside that “talks” to the other fear-stricken voice. This is the voice that helps drive me into completing my enormous tasks.
You might ask why this would be important. But, I know if I don’t act on some of my “To Do” list now, I’ll never get to where I plan on going.
If you ever find yourself in this dilemma, here’s a technique I use:
- First, I write down my goals.
- Then, I list all the tasks to complete each one.
- Next, I break these steps into “baby” steps.
- And finally, I jot down who I know that can help get me achieve these goals.
Of course, finding those that might be able to help is the most exciting part. The reason I say this is because I then start thinking of how I might be able to help them reach their goals, too. That’s when the magic happens! At this point it becomes a win-win for all parties concerned.
See, there it goes again! The fear is now suddenly gone! Bring on 2012, I’m ready for the thrill!
Can’t believe Christmas is almost here, either!
Carmen, “The Publicity Diva”
Yes, I concur. Fear can be paralyzing unless you take control of it. For me, even though I know that facing fear and overcoming it will help me conquer it, there are still times when I can’t help but allow the fear to stifle my productivity once again. I think it’s important to make it a habit to face fear and view it as a challenge. One reason famous actors go from one success to another is because they have trained for years in improvisation classes, which is to say, they’ve made the act of taking risks in front of others a habit. This is an important life skill (or habit) because it teaches you to overcome one of the most common and paralyzing fears, the fear of being judged by others; it is also referred to as the fear of public speaking. I would recommend everyone take an improve work shop at least once in their life. But if you don’t have the money, spare time or desire to do so, then the suggestions in this article are just as excellent, if not more effective for overcoming fear.
Thanks for the comment, Thomas. Great thoughts!
Since we are living in the information age, we should appreciate the availability and convenience of having great advice like this at the tip of our finger tips. And since I am on the subject of cyber space, it is only appropriate to share a quote about fear from computer software mogul, Bill Gates. ” People always fear change. People feared electricity when it was invented, didn’t they? People feared coal, they feared gas-powered engines… There will always be ignorance, and ignorance leads to fear. But with time, people will come to accept their silicon masters.
Amen to that, Craig. Thanks for posting!
Fear is a big thing in my life and I am just starting to recognize it for what it is. I let fear cause me to make knee jerk reactions to things that end up causing me to make rash decisions that snowballs and causes me to get into trouble. Learning to recognize fear when it starts is the best way to head it off at the pass, take it on as a challenge and don’t let it control you. If you are a spiritual person then you believe in the enemy we all have out there trying to make us fail in our daily lives and one thing he thrives on is fear. So I try to remind myself of this and not let him get the upper hand, by being patient and just waiting to see what will happen. That may not be the best choice for some people but I have found that it works for me rather well. Your article was great, it has a lot of advice in it that I think is very helpful in conquering your fears instead of letting them conquer you.
Hey Sylvia, thanks for the post! One other thing I do before making a decision is what I call the “worst case, best case and probable” outcomes. By this I mean, I think about any project I’m getting ready to tackle (or start) and before I let fear set in, I think about what would be the worst thing that could happen once I begin. Then I think of the best possible outcome that might happen, and lastly, somewhere in between these two scenarios, what’s the most probable outcome that will happen. After exploring these three scenarios, I make my decision as to whether or not I could handle each outcome. If the answer is “yes,” then I proceed. Usually helps me think everything through and realize it wasn’t nearly as frightening as I was letting myself believe it would be. Thanks again for the comment!
Hello! Just want to say thank you for this interesting article! =) Peace, Joy.