Fear, something every single person who reads this has experienced, but the real question is how do you react to fear?
Some people when they are scared or afraid they become paralyzed with fear and are unable to move. Others thrive in fear, but what makes these two people different?
The first person lets fear stop them, they don’t take risks, and they overthink too much about the outcome.
The other person sees fear as an opportunity to grow and learn more about themselves. They don’t let fear affect their goals.
Fear can hold you back in multiple ways, but the truth is it can only hold you back if you allow it. If you let fear affect your goals you won’t ever achieve what you were destined to be.
Today we are gonna cover three reasons why fear is holding you back from being successful and we will give you some pointers on how to start overcoming some of your fears.
Fear of being Judged, Costs you Opportunities
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Fear can be the deciding factor in whether you reach your goals or not. If you let fear control you and you don’t take risks, then your life will always be the same.
For some people the fear of being looked down on by their peers is too much, so they never put their ideas out into the world. This can be very damaging not only to your goals but to you as a person too.
If all you ever wanted was to make a YouTube channel or be an actor but can’t get over the fear of being judged, chances are you will never do or become either.
If you want to lose weight but are too scared to go to the gym out of fear of being laughed at, or looked down upon, you won’t ever lose weight.
Life is about taking risks, some risks are necessary for success. Ways you can help this fear is by putting yourself in uncomfortable situations.
Your brain logs how you react to fear. If you face that fear head-on eventually your brain will have enough information logged that you’ll start to react differently to the things you once feared. So don’t let fear get in the way of your opportunities! Get out there and do what you want to do, and don’t let others hold you back from living your dreams.
Fear of Failing
Being afraid has its way of making your head foggy. A study done by Northwestern University states when the amygdala senses fear, the cerebral cortex (area of the brain that harnesses reason and judgment) becomes impaired. This makes it extremely hard to focus and stay on top of the tasks at hand.
Being in a cloudy state of mind can cause you to make mistakes. You can stutter during a speech, mess up in front of your boss, or just forget to do something important.
The way to fix this is to try your hardest to live in the moment and not worry about what others may say about you. Try to give all your focus to the task at hand.
Don’t give into the fear, embrace it. Be creative, make a joke about it or just continue with confidence. Remember we all make mistakes but don’t be afraid to fail. Our failures normally teach us more than our successes. So change your perspective on failing, look at it as a way to learn more instead of a way to be embarrassed.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts
Winston Churchill
Fear is Noticeable
Although fear is an emotion and can’t be seen by the human eye, you can definitely judge when a person is afraid.
Even if you try your best to act like you aren’t scared, people can see right through it because of your body language. Your voice might be shaky, or you have a nervous twitch, or maybe your pacing back and forth, you could even look uncomfortable.
Now, this might not be a bad thing if you’re in a haunted house, but if you are giving a presentation, or trying to explain to someone your product/service. If the buyer picks up on your fear you might lose the sale.
Showing fear can make people feel like you are nervous because you’re selling a product or service you don’t quite believe in. Even if you have the best product in the world, if you can’t communicate it with confidence, you won’t get sales.
If you have this problem try to pretend the person you are talking to is an old friend or someone you know. This can help change your thinking and maybe get rid of some of those nervous tics you give off.
Just remember everyone puts their pants on the same way as you do, don’t be afraid to put it all out there!
Ultimately fear causes an abundance of problems like anxiety, weakened immune system, and memory loss.
Some fear can actually be good but if you let it control you, you are letting it control your life. These are only three ways fear can affect your goals, but there are multiple little fears that can hold you back as well.
Just remember you only get one shot at this life and you shouldn’t waste it caring about other people’s opinions. Take risks and don’t be afraid to fail because you learn more from your failures than through your successes.
All in all, you shouldn’t let fear keep you from achieving what you want to do, find ways to use it in your favor and become better. Every step you take to overcome your fear is a step closer to being able to take control of your destiny!
About the Author
Hey I’m Lane Warren, creator of Healthy Blessings. I’m a small-town single dad who wants to help people who are like me achieve their goals, overcome obstacles, and live a better life.
