Thank you for listening to the Champion Forum Podcast with Jeff Hancher! Are you holding yourself back? Over the past twenty years, I have talked to many people, including employees, mentees, and clients. In many cases, these people wanted to do more but allowed fear and a lack of confidence to keep them from taking risks and doing what they know they were put on earth to do. In this remake of a past episode, we'll talk about the three fears that will threaten to kill your dreams and five ways that you can deal with them. You'll learn how to protect not only your goals but also your self-confidence and your passion.
Dream Killers
Fear of Failure
When life is good, we hesitate to take risks and jeopardize our position. Perfectionism is at the root of the fear of failure. Perfectionists see failure as so terrible that they feel it is better not to try.
Fear of Pain
Success requires sacrifice, which can be uncomfortable. You need to decide if you are afraid of the pain of sacrifice or the pain of never achieving your dream.
Fear that you are not good enough
It is not who you are that is holding you back; it is who you think you are not. You may find yourself saying, "I'm not smart enough. I'm not educated enough. I don't communicate well. I don't have experience. etc.," Self-doubt can keep you from pursuing worthwhile challenges and realizing your potential.
Q: Which of these fears resonates most with you? What have you done to work against that fear specifically? What have you been unwilling to do because of fear? What would you dream for yourself if you could work without fear? What would you desire for your business or team?
5 Ways to Deal With Fear
Should or must?
Determine if your dream is something you should or must do. If your dream is something you would like to do, it will be harder to push past fear. But, if you know you must accomplish your dream, you will have the strength to overcome fear. Go all in!
Recognize your excuses
Excuses keep us in our comfort zone. What comes to mind when you think about achieving your dream? What do you say to people who ask you why you have yet to start working on your goal? Once you know your excuses, you can decide that those excuses are unacceptable!
Adopt a mindset of growth
Your abilities are not fixed; you can grow! Look for courses, books, podcasts, etc., that can help you improve some skills. Remembering that you can grow will work against the fear that you are not good enough. Personal growth breeds self-confidence, and self-confidence fends off fear.
Gain insight from pain
When you make a mistake or fall short in some way, you may experience discomfort and pain. Don't fear pain. Instead, allow it to be your teacher so that you can avoid making the same mistake again. Pain is temporary, but it can teach a lesson that will last a lifetime!
Realize setbacks are possible
Dwelling on past mistakes causes us to put self-imposed limits on our potential. Mistakes make us better when we learn from them. If you give up on your dreams, you are guaranteeing failure.
Q: What excuses have you used in the past for not chasing after your dreams? Are those excuses any different at work versus in your personal life? Based on these five strategies, what advice would you give to a member of your team who was struggling with one of the fears mentioned in the first half of the episode? How can you identify which strategy is essential for you to master first?
Application Activities
1. Are there any fears that you would add to this list? Which strategies for dealing with fears would help you deal with that other fear? Why?
2. If you don't struggle with fear, you probably know someone who does. This week, take some time to work through this podcast's concepts with an employee, spouse, child, or friend. Be prepared to encourage them and provide the necessary perspective. Focus on helping them move from seeing how things could go wrong to what could happen if they succeed.
3. Think about one big goal you have for your life. It could be starting a business or charity, adding employees to your business, or saving enough money for your kids' college funds. Fear stops us from taking action by tricking us into thinking that we can't accomplish the dream because it is too big. Take your vision and break it down into baby steps. For starting a business, step one may be to file your business name with the government or meet with an accountant to learn how to set up your finances. You could save just $20 a month for your kids' college funds or write a simple job description for a future employee. Once your baby steps are laid out, assign each step a due date and start making progress!
Resources Referenced
"Lead the Field" by Earl Nightingale.
Dale Carnegie Course - dalecarnegie.com