FEAR OF SUCCESS
For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness, but of power and love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7
Have you ever been afraid to do something? Afraid to fail? Afraid of what people will think? Afraid that you’ll disappoint?
Imagine what you could do, if you had no fear. Nothing holding you back. I bet the very thing that’s holding you back, is yourself.
Instead of asking yourself, “What if I fail?” Ask, “How can I succeed?”
WRITE IT DOWN
Goal setting, vision boards, accountability partners. I have found that these all can work, but the best way to achieve a goal is to write it down. Not just the goal, but all the little things in between to achieve that goal, and the little things to achieve those goals.
A “daunting” task can often seem over-whelming, but when it’s broken down into little steps, it’s just one small step at a time.
Example: “I want to eat healthier.” Ok, how are you going to do that? What does it look like? How will it make you feel? The feeling attached to that goal or having a strong “why” will help reinforce the consistency it will take to achieve this.
If there’s a will, there’s a way… right?
CHANGE
Write it down. Seriously… if you want to be successful, some things need to change. Like the famous quote from Albert Einstein: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
Sometimes it takes us hitting “rock bottom,” or a significant event, or even someone giving us another point of view to get to the point where we want to change. Change is hard, but it’s absolutely possible. Remember, change begins at the end of your comfort zone.
If there’s something you’re struggling with, would like to change or get better at, write it down!
Check out: Recipe for Success- But You Have to Cook
I’m sure you have heard “write it down or it won’t happen.” We’re all guilty of saying, “One day,” or “I will when I’m ready.” But when are you truly “ready?” If you just begin, and do it for the right reasons, I believe it’ll happen. I have a saying that I tell my family and my team: “It’ll work out. It’ll happen when it’s supposed to, and the way it’s supposed to.”
I’M STILL SCARED
Some say it’s a confidence thing, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a constant battle—because of society and the world we live in. You may find that the way you were raised, something that happened to you, or a bad relationship (or many) has shaped the way you think. Maybe about others or yourself.
Check out: We Never Truly Arrive
Let me share this with you: I have spoken with some successful business mentors and asked them about coaching and motivating people. We agreed that confidence is an important trait in sales or marketing, and that most people are scared. Either they’re scared to step out of their comfort zone, or they are truly scared of success. Maybe it was from someone telling them they “will never succeed.” Let me tell you, you were built for success, not failure.
WISDOM
Have you prayed for success? When we pray, we often pray to fix something, or for tangible things or money. This made me think about the story of King Solomon in the Bible. He asks God for wisdom (or a wise and discerning heart) instead of long life, wealth, or the death of his enemies. In turn, God gives him wisdom like he asked for. But because this pleased God so much, he was awarded with long life and wealth also.
What stuck with me about this story, was with wisdom, you will be able to create wealth or other desires. And even better, your wisdom can be shared to help others.
FLEXIBLE
Of course, with any accomplishment, comes sacrifices. Sometimes we have to be flexible with our plans, but not the goal. Those immediate gratifications can detract from what we’re working so hard to get to.
Ask yourself, “is this contributing to my success?” “Will this help me achieve my goal?” Or better, “Does this glorify God?” That’s the big one for me. That question has gotten me out of bed when I want to sleep in. That question also caused me to pick up a piece of trash that someone else threw on the ground, and I really didn’t want to go out of my way to do so. Now this isn’t to give me a high-five, this is an example of how God was working through me, and how it changed my perspective on my plans and even daily tasks.
When you feel you’ve hit a dead-end, things aren’t going your way, or your plan just isn’t working— keep going. The road hasn’t ended. You weren’t created for failure. You haven’t failed. You’re constantly learning. You can use those lessons to gain wisdom.
Persist until you succeed:
- Have faith instead of fear
- Write your goals down
- Write the feelings attached to the goals
- Keep going and be flexible
- You got this!
When you feel afraid and think, “What if I lose/can’t?” Remember, “What if I win/can?”
