Transform your fears into positive power
Fear is a double-edged sword. It can stop you or propel you forward. When you feel unnecessarily immobilized by fear, use these tips to harness its positive power. Remember, courage is not the absence of fear; he is acting despite the fear.
1. Ask yourself, ‘What would you do if you knew I couldn’t fail?’
2. Start a success journal. Write about your hopes and dreams. Putting it on paper will make it more real.
3. Tell yourself every day that fear is part of the process. Expect to find it and plan for it so it doesn’t stop you from moving forward.
4. Consider where you are today as a “temporary” stopping place. Use fear to catch your breath. Lean on it. Then use his strength to carry you forward.
5. Ask yourself what the reward is for getting stuck and what price you will pay if you stay stuck.
6. Ask for help when you need it. We all need help at one time or another. Use your support system of family and friends. Seek help from other professionals.
7. Cut your goal into smaller steps to be ready when you have your second, third, or fourth wind. You may need to trim the next step to the correct size. None of us got to where we are today in one big leap!
8. List your ‘Yes, but’ and then rewrite them one by one.
9. Prepare to be ready. Finish this sentence: “If I was ready, I would do ________ next.” Sometimes just recognizing the next step helps us get unstuck.
10. Collect inspiring stories about people who have been successful despite great difficulties. Reread them for courage when the going gets tough. Everyone has difficult times; successful people have strategies to overcome them.
11. Make a collage of your dreams come true. Post it in a prominent place in your home or work. Take a small step toward her every day.
12. Dare to dream big dreams. Life shrinks or expands in proportion to your dreams. In the end, it is more painful not to live your dreams than to go through the discomfort of achieving them.
