Many of us are affected daily by a constant fear of failure. It prevents us from living our best lives, going after what we want, and achieving our goals. But, in the end, that leaves us unhappy and unfulfilled.
So what do you do?
If you want to get out of a rut and chase your dreams, then it starts by taking your fear and turning it into a motivator. When you view your fear for what it is, it becomes easier to tackle because you see it for what it is. Because you’re no longer in denial, it’s not as difficult to face and overcome.
If you want to use fear as a motivating factor to achieve your goals, here are three ways to get started.
Embrace Your Fear
You let fear control your every move when you decide that it has that kind of power over you. The more power you give it, the more frightened you’ll feel to go after what you truly want.
Only by embracing the feeling of fear can you overcome it. By pushing it away and denying it, you give it room to grow in your head and make your decisions for you. But if you’re determined to get out of your stagnant routine, you need to face your fears head-on.
If you want to switch careers so you can make money doing something you love, then accept that making that change is going to be scary. Growth isn’t easy, and you’ll face many obstacles along the way. But that doesn’t mean that the end result won’t be worth it. If it’s something you know you want, you have every right to go after it.
Push out of Your Comfort Zone
It’s easy to do the same things you’re used to because they’re familiar, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Keeping the same habits for a long period can make you feel tired, bored, and desperate for change. But you won’t be able to unless you leave your comfort zone and get used to being uncomfortable.
Let’s say your goal is to start a podcast. It’s been a goal of yours for some time now, but you haven’t gotten started because you’re afraid no one will listen and you’ll never get the results you want. This is called having a lack mindset in which you focus on what you don’t have instead of what you could do to change your current situation.
Constantly focusing on what you’re missing will affect you emotionally, mentally, and even physically. You might start feeling depressed, anxious, or guilty for the choices you make, and it becomes a vicious cycle that never ends. Only by making proactive choices will you be able to go where you want and live the life you want.
Remember Your Goal
When all else fails and you can’t find it in yourself to face your fears, refer back to your set goals. Why did you create them in the first place? There must have been something about them at the time that motivated you to begin a new journey.
When things get difficult, it’s easy to say we’ll give up on our dreams and move onto something less intimidating. But you should also consider the need for change you felt and how desperately you wanted to grow into something new.
To prevent burnout before you have the chance to achieve your goals, it helps to create a list of reasons why you want to overcome this fear.
Your list might include reasons like:
- It’ll make me happier.
- I’ll feel accomplished.
- It’ll motivate me to try other new things.
Referring back to your original intent is a great way to focus on what matters and eliminate the static. Your brain will always be able to create reasons why you shouldn’t go after what you want, but there are more reasons to push through.
Your Turn
If you struggle with fear, you’re not the only one. It prevents many people from going after what they want and causes unhappiness and distress. Only by changing your current habits and remaining positive can you improve your situation. You’re the only person capable of changing your life, so choose to make decisions that lead to your happiness. How will you use fear to succeed?