This week I had to get something done and kept putting it off. Every time I got around to it, I put it to the side because I didn’t want to deal with it. The task was potentially unpleasant – I had to contact some persons about a matter with which they may not have been satisfied. I was not in the mood to answer several questions or get verbally abused. I finally mustered up the courage to make the calls, and while 1 or 2 were difficult, the overall experience was not so bad. Why did I take so long to get this done? Fear held me back. Has this happened to you before? Are you going through a similar situation now? I wanted to share some thoughts and tips on how to get past your fears so you can stay productive and move forward.
1. It is never as bad as you think. How many times have you built something up so much in your head and when you finally get it done it wasn’t as scary/hard/overbearing? I would say that that has been my experience 99% of the time. Sometimes your mind goes so far and paints such vivid pictures of disaster and destruction, that you are left so afraid to complete routine tasks or do something you know you have to. Recognize when your mind begins to wander and stop yourself accordingly. Then get moving.
2. The task is an opportunity to learn and grow. Growth is hard. If it wasn’t, we would all be settled and successful individuals. Pause for a moment when you are so overcome with fear for a particular task. More than likely the task is a chance for you to learn something new, or an improved way of doing something to which you’ve grown accustomed. Thus, you get the chance to grow as an employee/leader/person. Fear is defined as “an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain or harm”. The task that I took forever to complete was certainly not going to cause me danger, pain or harm, so why did I let fear overwhelm me? Pose that question to yourself when you realize that you have been paralysed by fear to complete something.
3. You’re keeping yourself back. Procrastination is a tough habit to break. But you need to break it if you want to progress. What if the task you are afraid to get done is the stepping stone to another task. Or will lead to something even bigger in your life? I am sure you have heard the ad which says that you can’t win the lotto unless you buy a ticket or some similar sentiment. Whenever I hear that ad the message is so clear and important to me; you need to participate and you need to try or else you will not reap the rewards. Everything good in life takes work and has some measure of risk. It is unfulfilling to live life without taking some chances. You may not always be successful in your attempts, but you would at the very least be able to learn from your experience.
Fear is crippling. Fear creates doubt. Fear keeps you back. Recognize when you are struggling and actively pull yourself out of it and push forward. You will look back and be grateful that you made the effort.
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