Overcoming Fears That Prevent You From Succeeding

When it comes to building the road to success, sometimes we’re our own biggest stumbling block. Whether you’re afraid things will blow up in your face, and all your effort will be wasted, or you’re fearful of the challenges, and struggles success might bring, fear can stop you dead in your tracks before you’ve even had a chance to try. While the fear and anxiety are very real and can be debilitating at times, there are a few ways you can overcome your fears to get out of your own way on your path to success.

Fear is a Tool

Your fear exists for a reason. In ancient times, it functioned as a way to survive dangerous situations and put us into fight or flight to get out of a bad situation alive. In modern times, the role of fear has changed significantly – the only way you’ll die as a result of paperwork is through sheer boredom. So instead of allowing your anxiety to hold you back, you can use your fear like a radar pointing you at what you need to take care of first. The longer you put off the tasks causing the most anxiety, the more overwhelming they can seem. Addressing these tasks head-on can help put you back in charge and keep you moving forward.

Plan and Organize

One of the biggest causes of anxiety when striving towards success is simply being overwhelmed and feeling like you have to take on the world. If you have a project or goal you’re working towards, write down everything involved with that goal, no matter how small. Then take those steps and space them out over a few days, weeks, or even years, depending on the projected deadline. The idea is to break large tasks down into the smallest possible components and conquer those mini-tasks one at a time. With a concrete plan, you can focus only on what you need to at the current moment without feeling like the weight of the world is bearing down on your shoulders.

Positivity Is Important

While it might sound a bit cliche, positive thinking and speaking play more of a role in success than you might think. Most athletes use mental imagery in their off time, envisioning themselves making the shot or hitting that home run. On some level, your brain interprets those mental images as practice, leading to better results when you actually perform those actions. The same concept applies to people who are successful. Seeing yourself succeeding and envisioning yourself doing well will put you in the mindset to follow through and make those mental images a reality.

Don’t Ruminate on the Negative

Just like positive thoughts promote success, negative thoughts and speech work the same way. If you’re constantly thinking and saying you’ll fail or you’re not good enough to succeed, you’re already starting behind the starting line. Subconsciously you won’t put in your all because in your mind, you’ve already failed, and it’s pointless. The unexpected can happen but focus on a solution, not the problem.

For more tips and articles by Michael E. Parker visit MichaelEParker's .org website