FEAR MATTERS TO YOUR SUCCESS!
This week I wrote about why fear matters to your success. The simple answer is that it’s a driver for growth. When fear shows up in your life it’s your job to ask it questions. Why do I feel the uncertainty? What is at stake here? Are my fears justified, real or simply a concern for a future that hasn’t even arrived yet!
We are in a time of great uncertainty, and we can all catastrophize worst case scenarios in our own lives. The workplace is changing, but what does that look like for you, the individual? What do you need to do to adjust to the changes taking place around you? How resilient are you? Can you use the experience of the last two years to think about how well you’ve managed change, what you achieved that went beyond what you thought you could do? Or are you feeling overwhelmed and uncomfortable because you can’t figure out, or are unwilling to make the changes you need to make?
The last two years have given us a great opportunity for self-reflection and my hope is that it has proven to be a fertile time for making changes that perhaps were long overdue, especially when it comes to the world of work. Change is constant. It’s an invitation to make things better, to bring more grace and ease, to let go of the things that don’t serve us. Embracing change is what keeps life interesting even if it’s uncomfortable at times. Fear is our internal ‘doorbell’ to change. Open the door and invite the possibilities that beckon. Start today.
Strategy 1
Read this week’s article on Why Fear Matters To Your Success
The world of work has changed, and we are facing unprecedented shortages of talent in many organizations. Gallup’s latest research on employee retention indicates that fewer than one in four employees feel strongly that their organizations care about their wellbeing – which is the lowest in a decade.
Strategy 2
Listen to my interview with Danielle Lin
Danielle has interviewed transformational luminaries like Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield, John Maxwell, and Wayne Dyer. I was delighted when she reached out to me and asked for a conversation about why fear matters to your success. “If you feel uncertain about the outside world but cannot avoid the interior calling for transformation and contribution, this will chart a course, put wind into your sails, and prepare your wings to fly.”
Strategy 3
Watch this video with Jim Carrey
I stumbled across this video of Jim Carrey giving a commencement speech and was struck by the profundity of his wisdom that he had learned about life and leadership in his 30 year career. He, like all of us, struggled with his fear of not being good enough, of not taking the right paths, and of finding out how brilliant he really is. Watch this and be inspired.
Strategy 4
Read The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
The Comfort Book (2021) is a compendium of practices, philosophies, stories, and encouragements to help you get through tough times. Matt Haig shares the insights he gained while experiencing years of severe anxiety and depression, as well as his own unconventional strategies for developing a sense of self-worth and looking after your mental health.
Strategy 5
Reflect
Take time to reflect on your work and your life. Are you doing everything you can to make the changes you need to make? Make a list of all the things you want, and if that’s hard, start with the things you don’t want. Then make a separate list of all the things you love doing, and then the things you don’t like doing. Then think about what would it look like if you were to do all the things you want that you love doing, and ask yourself what life would look like if this were your reality. It may be out of reach right now, but you can start working your way forward to achieve the dream by taking small incremental actions that will lead you there. And above all, answer the doorbell, and let the opportunities in.