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The Fear of Success

Written by: Richard Walsh

Article Overview: Are any of these traits holding you back? Here are some simple solutions to get past the fear of success.

The Fear of Success

It's all there. It just takes determination and work ethic right? I have those yet I freeze and create self destruct mechanisms as I ascend. Is it inability? Is it a lack of knowledge, security and self confidence?

I have been down this road so many times I should know every twist, turn and crack and yet I still veer off. My ability to separate myself from a reality of failure has either protected me from it or prolonged the inevitable. I know what to do, how to do it and yet I don't. I don't act soon enough or not at all. Nothing becomes a priority or the priorities are misplaced. When the undesirable yet expected effect happens I am very angry at myself but not surprised. It is the same as knowing the answers to the test but purposely choosing the wrong ones.

I feel even the writing of this is an evasion of responsibility and action. So many "talk" and so few "do." When I engross myself in a project the results are outstanding. I find that outside distractions are incredibly harmful to my work at hand. Yet I let them occur almost gratefully.

My fitness physically is distracted constantly by a guilt even a desire to be distracted and again a "freeze" toward a workout. It is that fear of success again, if I workout I will lose weight and get fit, feel better, look better, be happier and possibly live longer. Why am I afraid of that? During the workout I feel great. The next day I come to work out and I sit and look at the equipment.

I have work to do and I will come to the office and just sit at my desk and accomplish nothing. I don't make simple phone calls or get started in the shop cutting or welding. I can't even do a sculpture that has no ties to any business at all which would simply give me pleasure because of the guilt of not doing priority work. Hence, nothing gets completed.

It is the "big picture" complex. Seeing all of the demands and needs to be accomplished thereby being overwhelmed and unable to focus on a simple single task. This concept has merit.

With six children four years old and younger, a wife, mortgage, a struggling business, taxes and poor physical fitness you might call that a "big picture" complex. That was me only one year ago. There comes a time when all things come together and either explodes into a million pieces or that explosion creates the new beautiful reality that spawns a new direction and focus that turns your life around. Fortunately for me it was the latter. I realized that it all begins with one simple task at a time. Complete this task then move on to the next one. Some call it a "To Do" list I call it "saving my mind from implosion". It is more then just writing a to do list it is about completing that list.

It begins with goals even the smallest of goals are very important at this stage. My first goal was completing my to do list. Sounds funny but the most well intentioned to do list means nothing if not completed. I made the list obtainable for starters. These lists are your super short term goals that will build your confidence for larger tasks. For me I locked out all distractions, I locked my home office door and left strict instructions not to disturb me when the door is closed. I instituted a two card system, yellow and red. When a yellow card was slid under the door it meant that my wife needed to talk to me when convenient and a red card meant emergency or "blood is flowing" which with six little kids in the house can be often. It just better be a major incident. A simple distraction can set you back thirty minutes throwing off your train of thought and momentum. I also instituted a desk timer and set particular time periods for each task and stuck to them. I take a ten minute break after every fifty minutes of work and go for a walk outside or do some physical exercise. This keeps the mind fresh and alert and helps me stay fit. I do a 30 to 60 minute body weight workout in my office after working three or four hours. I keep my workout clothes in my office so I don't have to leave to change, avoiding another possible distraction.

This method enabled me to develop real priorities and stop running around putting out fires all the time. In one years time I've lost 45 pounds, sold my previous business of 20 years, relocated my family and started a new business that is flourishing. That "Big Picture" is still on the wall but now I have a realistic path to follow and achieve my own greatness.

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Article Tags: crack, desire, desk, distractions, evasion, failure, fear of success, fitness, guilt, lack of knowledge, mechanisms, nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp, phone calls, priorities, priority, sculpture, self confidence, undesirable, work ethic, workout
Referred by: http://jaykubassek.com



Related Forum Posts
Re: Fear of Success - You don't need to fear success. We should embrace it. Fear is define by a man of God as False Evidence Appearing Real. the meaning is what we fear most does'nt come to pass
Other Great Books... - Feel The Fear And Do It AnyWay - Susan Jeffers How To Stop Worrying And Do It Anyway - Dale Carnegie ('What's the worst that could happen - the worst?' Then prepare yourself for that and reality is such a relief!).
Re: THE SECRET TO SUCCESS IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD...RIGHT NOW!!! - Success = Thinking (Head) + Heart (Feeling / Interest) + Hand (doing/ action). Success - H3 Robert
Re: What I'm reading this weekend - Oct 8, 2010 - these are great! In particular, I liked "you’re already perfect" and "Smashing through the Black Wall of Fear." That's exciting that there is a new 4-hour book out. I really enjoyed "The 4 hour Workweek."
Re: Franchises in Texas... - [quote="RussellWebb":1kwhwvtt]Hi GT - I'm just fed up with the hand wringing fear-mongers. Yes, let's all do our share to reduce our impact on the global warming issues, yet at the same time we need to hear both sides of the story... then make educated decisions.[/quote:1kwhwvtt] Hi Russell, But don't you think society would fall apart without "fear" acting as a control? Fear is what keeps people in check (e.g. if you commit a crime you go to jail or even get shot by the authorities in some countries).


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