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In over 45 years of diverse business experience, I have found that life provides many roadblocks that can inhibit success. Overcoming these common roadblocks will demand actions that range from developing an enthusiastic spirit to utilizing a visionary strategy. All in all, to achieve maximum results, you must be determined in your effort to navigate the unacceptable and be committed to achieve the desirable.
The first roadblock that must be addressed is fear. Fear is perhaps the most dominating reality anyone may encounter. It takes advantage of the human need for certainty in real life situations and forces its false evidence upon the mind regarding those situations. Its power soars to such a degree that the evidence appears to be real when in fact it is not. Fear unnerves the mind and body producing reluctance to engage. That is why you may fear entering a dark ally or reaching your hand into a mysterious hole. Airplanes have been hijacked; banks robbed; and, people forced to act against their will, all as a result of fear and the false evidence making the situation appear to be in fact real.
Fear plays a large role in business. It can impede such things as sales results; business expansion; business plan execution; hiring and terminations; investments; attitudes; goal results, etc., the list can at times seem endless. Fear can also produce one of the most deadly cultural addictions: complacency; and, give power to its smaller brother, reluctance. It is without question a destroyer of dreams and appropriate ambitions.
How does one then combat this formidable advisory? How do you disable its hold on your desire to move forward, to excel, to in fact win? While fear and its deadly kin are ready to gobble your drive to succeed at a single feeding, there are remedies to help you overcome the paralysis that it brings.
First, you must clearly define what it is you fear. As an example, just not liking the darkness does not convey the answer. You must be able to define what it is specifically concerning the darkness that produces the fear within you. When you specifically state the issue, it is much easier to begin to seek a viable solution.
Next, examine what brought this fear about. What specifically happened that caused you to develop a fear of or towards a particular event, issue or action? Understanding the reason is a step forward in learning to overcome your fear.
Third, what are the “true” facts concerning the issue? In other words, what justification warrants the fear? Here you examine what is real and can be verified and what might be conjecture and should be omitted in the process. Discovering the “real” positions causes you to more effectively prepared to combat the false assumptions.
Fourth, you must discover what must be present for you to face the fear and begin to move forward. Developing courage is crucial and it must be gained for you to effectively overcome fear. At some point you must search your being and pull out that area of confirmation that allows you to gain the courage and confidence you need to be able to overcome reluctance. That area of confirmation is there even though your initial mental picture seems to find no comfort. Keep digging and soon it will rise to the top.
Fifth, determine what is a good first step for you to take. To climb a mountain for the first time, you just do not show up and begin to position ropes and hooks on the rocks. It takes study and possibly some trial climbs until you gain comfort. The same is true with overcoming fear. Establish an initial goal or level or action that allows you to gain confidence and grow some margin of courage as you begin. You might even ask a friend to accompany you to further give you confidence. Sometimes there really is unwavering strengths in numbers; as long as those you choose are not more reluctant and filled with more fear than you. Remember, “…inch by inch, anything is a cinch.”
Sixth, conquer your fear. You have laid the groundwork. You have examined the facts and eliminated the untrue. You have set goals, established first steps, perhaps sought help and now is the time to move forward. You are in control. Face your fear. Realize that fear only hinders you if you allow it. Don’t let false assumptions steal your courage any longer. Climb that mountain. Knock on that door and ask for that sale. Say no, it is ok. You are now fearless! You have made it. You have set aside the untrue and now focus on the true. No longer will “bumps” in the night cause your heart to beat faster. You are now master of your life.
Now that your fear is gone or that it is lessened its grip on you, what’s next? How can you utilize this process to more completely address other fears that come along or that may be lingering with you? How will overcoming or at least reducing the complexity of your fear about an issue or action positively impact your business activities? What will this mean to your ability to lead in your business and your life? How could this new realization impact such things as career or job stress and work/ life balance? What could you do to pass along your new found courage to better help those you lead? What is now possible?
Realize that human nature, even with its most authentic confidence, still clamors the echoes of fear so that it will always be with you. New challenges come along. Self-doubts can creep in. However, whether you allow fear and its family of foes to once again control your life depends upon your commitment to follow the process and face your fears. Its certainty centers upon whether you control your reality or allow your mind to create a reality. The choice is truly yours to make.
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