Photo by Ashley Bean for Unsplash
“What we fear doing most, is what we most need to do.”
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by what you need to accomplish? Is there something in particular that you've been putting off, because you're afraid? I know when I'm particularly scared of doing something, or am afraid that I don't know how, I will often start to procrastinate. What was once a small task on the "need to do" list is a big scary thing that I try not to think about, except for in occasional bouts of panic. Tim Ferriss, author of the 4Hr Work Week, writes that the things we are most afraid of are what we need to address the most - and I know that when I start to feel that dread creeping in about a particular task, I must put that task on the top of my To Do list. We often spend far more time worrying about doing something than actually doing it!
If you're generally scared to take a step forward in your career or for your business, write down exactly what is scaring you. Then follow up by writing down the very worst case scenario of what could happen. Lastly, write down all the ways that you would recover and get back to feeling ok if the worst case scenario happened. What you'll start to learn is just how resilient and resourceful you are. This can be a truly great exercise both professionally and personally. What scares you the most in building your practice?