There are few fears we face in our life that truly warrant the feelings that go with them. Yet fear looms large in our ability to identify what we need to do to create a life we love and embrace rapid growth in our business.
My fear at the top of a double-diamond black ski run is different from my fear of talking about my newly discovered ADHD brain and wondering how people will react.
Real fear for me was a day back in 1993 when I was working in Rackhams department store during my corporate days in England; there was an attacker on the shop floor literally cutting the throats of my co-workers.
Real fear was when I was put on bed rest for 16 weeks when pregnant with twins and I had an 18-month old running around.
Real fear is being diagnosed with rare auto-immune condition that could have resulted in me losing my eyesight and being in a wheelchair.
I don’t usually talk about those fears because they are insignificant compared to the tragedies and difficulties others have faced. But they put into perspective the fears that consume people’s decisions to quit a job, try something new, move to a new city or country or simply say what they really think. When I am advising CEOs, board members, executives and entrepreneurs on growth strategies for their businesses, what is often behind their questions are fears like these.
Have you ever experienced any of these fears?
fear that you will make a mistake
fear you are letting your team down
fear that you will look needy
fear of trying an alternative way rather than your usual approach
fear that you will pick the wrong path
fear that your outrageous idea may not pan out
fear that your hiring bet may fall through.
It isn’t the same kind of fear that is life-threatening but it is success-threatening because it causes you to freeze, doubt yourself and perhaps not go as fast as you could.
Once you name it, acknowledge it, and understand what you really are concerned about you can easily overcome it.
What do you secretly fear and what is honestly causing it?
Dedicated to growing your business,
Val
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