Don’t criticize yourself for being afraid of taking that big step – you know, the massive action that needs to happen to realize your dream! It’s a natural response to moving out of your comfort zone. But while you shouldn’t berate yourself for feeling fearful, you also shouldn’t wallow in it so much that you never get past it. When fear rears its ugly head, use these simple tactics to put it in perspective and move on.
1. Recognize fear is only a feeling
Fear can feel very, very real. Although it’s only an emotion, it survives and grows bigger and bigger when we dwell on it and start to believe it. The first step in mastering your fear of taking massive action is to remind yourself that fear isn’t real – that it’s only a feeling that can’t hurt you.
2. Remember, everyone has experienced fear of failure
Everyone experiences fear before they try something new. Do you think Tony Robbins hasn’t experienced a fear of failure? Sure he has, and I’m sure he would tell you that himself. Everyone has experienced a fear of failure, the fear of looking like a fool, the fear of losing friends when you become too famous, too wealthy, too thin, or whatever. When a moment of panic comes over you, imagine your role model and remember that they, too, have experienced fear. But they moved through it anyway.
3. Take the first small step
We’ve all heard Newton’s 1st Law of Motion: A body at rest tends to stay at rest, while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. Notice that feeling of fear, and then take that first small step in spite of it. You will feel amazing after you’ve done that one little thing. You’ll realize that you can do it, and you’ll be excited to take that next step. Fear will be replaced by enthusiasm!
4. Use a lifeline
Sometimes we recognize fear for what it is but can’t seem to get over the hurdle anyway. That’s the right time to call in some reinforcements. Get hold of a friend, colleague, or family member who is totally on board with your goal. Buy them a cup of coffee and talk to them about your feelings. Use them as a sounding board, ask for their advice or just come on out and ask for a pep talk! This person loves you and has faith that you can achieve your goal, so you don’t need to worry about being embarrassed to tell them that fear has you in a paralyzing grip! They will support you through each step you take; sometimes all we need is to hear a person we love and admire tell us it will be all right.
5. Put a name to your fear
Most of the time, fear feels like a cloud hanging over your head and you can’t seem to focus because of it. When you can name that cloud – put any name to it that you want, it loses some of its power over you and you can whittle it down to a manageable size. Once you have it named and cut down to size, it will be a lot easier to look at what you need to do to get through it, even if all you can do right now is to shove it aside. Write it down and look at it now and then. You’ll be surprised that your actions have truly whittled that fear down to something that is no longer such a big deal.
6. Make friends with your fear
Say what??? Why would you want to make friends with fear? Well, there actually are several reasons to do that. Oh, but ‘making friends’ with your fear doesn’t mean you suddenly become BFFs. It just means turning an ‘enemy’ into an ‘acquaintance’ – at least for now. Once you can remove the intense emotion from whatever it is that has you in its grip, it loses its power and you become the one in charge again.
No matter which of these ideas work for you, take one small step and you will find that the massive action you are wanting to take will be a lot easier to accomplish. It’s the old ‘eating the elephant one bite at a time’ thing – it’s a saying that has been around for a long time, because it works.
7. Have an elephant party
Get a group of people together, online or offline, and brainstorm. Let the ideas flow and write them down, even the most ridiculous ones. It’s a great practice to help loosen up the mind and come up with ideas you would never have thought of by yourself. The laughter that is part of this practice is important, as well, in order to help the flow of ideas. It’s not only fun, it’s amazingly effective!
Need some help with taking that first (or second) step? Let me know and we can schedule a no obligation chat – just shoot me a quick email at jan@healerswholaunch.com