Everybody has fears and doubts about doing things they are unfamiliar with. It is natural to be cautious when facing unknown situations, but everyone is different and some people think less
before doing a challenge. For others, it is more of a cautious attitude. So what is best? To jump fearlessly into the void or to procrastinate about every little thing you do?
Of course the best way is a mixture of both. Indeed sometimes it pays to be cautious and to sit around thinking about what you are about to do, but sometimes the more time you sit around
thinking about it, the greater the chance you WILL NEVER DO IT!
You will simply use that time to think of reasons why you should NOT go ahead with the task. You will justify to yourself why you are not currently doing the task and you will then start to believe
yourself. You will convince yourself that you are better off where you are in your little comfort zone and you will convince yourself you are better to stay there. When you have reached this point, it is clear that you are never going to do the thing you wanted to.
When you feel this feeling of hesitation or doubt, don’t think about it and just do it. Whether it’s starting your own business, making a sales call or even simply talking to a member of the opposite sex, the 5 second rule should be used. This is a rule that encourages action instead of overthinking which in turn will turn to fear. You have the opportunity for the first 5 seconds outsmart your brain, to be courageous and to do the task you want to do. If after this 5 seconds, you are still thinking about it, your brain will sabotage you and your chances of actually doing what you want will fade away quickly as you talk yourself out of it. Remember “Time is Fear’s best friend”. You can’t always control how you feel, but you can always control how you act. The reason we don’t do the things we really really know we should is that we simply don’t feel like doing them. We know we should get started, but then we hesitate, and that turns into procrastination which can lead to putting the task off forever. However using the 5 second rule, hesitation is kept to a minimum and for less than 5 seconds, your courage will outweigh the hesitation and you can make the decision to do something you want. But after 5 seconds, your feelings will be the one deciding what you do. When you want to do something big, such as starting your own business, break the task down into steps and it will feel more manageable. Making a start is half the battle. Once you have started it’s easier to continue, but if you never start you will accomplish nothing.
If the task still feels too hard for you, imagine an even greater task and then compare it to your task. Now it doesn’t feel quite so bad does it. If you’re hesitant about your task to start your own
business, imagine choosing that or doing a bungee jump. Which one would you prefer? Or how about fighting a lion? Your task doesn’t seem so bad now does it! Imagine how you will feel when you have completed your task. If it’s starting a business, are you prepared to be poor your whole life just because you’re hesitating starting? When you’re rich from running a successful business, you will be pleased you took this initial step, and when you look back at this day, you will wonder why you were fussing so much. Actually you should have done it a long time ago.
Promise yourself that you will get a reward when the task is done, or if you want to be particularly nasty, promise yourself a punishment if you do not do the task!
Don’t worry if what you do isn’t perfect. The important thing is to try. Then next time you do it, it will seem less scary and you will have the experience to do it better. The important thing is to give it a try and be proud of your achievements!