SECTION 5.1: FACING FEAR OF FAILURE

Starting now you can create a performance action plan that is free of fear. Use our Goal Setting For Success guide to learn how to deal more effectively with your fears so they do not keep you from reading your goals.

Dealing directly with the source of our fears, means we must accept that we are the main culprit.

It is the tiny little voice inside each and every one of us, that if left unchecked, will work to destroy us.

The tiny little voice, our self-talk, is the source of all of our fears. We spoke about the power of self talk earlier in this series so we won't dwell upon it here. However, we will provide some insight on how to manage your fears more effectively.

In order to take back control, and lessen the negative impact that your fears have on the quality of your life, ask yourself three very important questions:

1. Am I perceiving this particular situation as it truly is, or am I perceiving it worse than it really is?

   People who are prone to be fearful, tend to immediately assume the negative effects of failure when confronted with a challenge. Not surprisingly, because they expect failure from the very beginning, they tend to get exactly what they are expecting, which only reinforces their negative belief system.

2. Train yourself to believe that the best is yet to come, rather than indulging in the belief that the worst is here to stay.

   Through repetition you can train your mind to be more positive. It may be difficult at first to change your negative belief patterns, but with a greater awareness of what has been holding you back from achieving the goals in your performance action plan, you can become more optimistic, constructive, and effective. You can, in effect, become a happier and more successful person.

3. Leave It, Perceive It and Believe It.

   Condition yourself to work through these three steps each time you are fearful of a new situation. First, realize that your fear in holding you back from new and wonderful experiences, and decide immediately to leave your old fearful thoughts behind.

   Secondly, visualize success. See yourself stepping out boldly and winning! Perceive yourself standing in the winner's circle, victorious.

   Lastly, choose to believe in others; choose to believe in humanity and most importantly, choose to believe in yourself. If you don't believe in yourself, why should anyone else?

Success Lesson #11: Camouflaging Our Fears

"Fear and worry are like echoes; they do not exist until we call for them; and the louder we call the louder is their response. We can never drown them, yet if left alone, they will drown us."
- Horace Flether

During the World War I, the French gave us a new word, which immediately jumped into popularity - camouflage.

When they wished to conceal cannons, torpedoes, tanks, machine guns, or any of the deadly instruments of war from the observation of the enemy's aviators, they covered them with foliage to avoid detection.

Some people learn to camouflage their worries and fears. The problem with this strategy is that our fears do not weaken or go away when we simply hide them from the outside world. Rather, they grow stronger until we force ourselves to deal with them head on.

Most of us think of the wonderful things we would do as part of our performance action plan if we could only get rid of the worries, the annoyances, the disturbances, and the larger things that defeat our worthy ambitions.

Yet, the real test we must take is whether we can fulfill our purposes to the letter; carry out our life plan superbly in spite of all the things that are apparently trying to detour us.

Are you going to create a performance action plan for a bette life, or are you going to give up and mope and whine, and go about your life wearing a long sad face; giving others the message that your life has been a supreme disappointment?

If you want to make the most of your life, you must learn quickly to accept the inevitable, however disagreeable, painful or distressing - and to do so not with a frown but with a grateful smiling face. In other words, you must acquire the grace and strength and security of a poised mind.

Download Free Goal Setting For Success Tool

Receive goal setting guidelines for a complete performance action plan. Learn how to set goal plans for success. The importance of goal setting activity cannot be overstated as setting performance goal objectives will definitely improve your life.

TO RECEIVE THE FREE GOAL PLANNING FOR SUCCESS TOOL: Subscribe to our FREE monthly newsletter. Instructions to access all leadership tools will immediately follow.

Next Goal Setting For Success Chapters

» SECTION 5.2 - Responding To Failure - Business goal setting must account for unexpected obstacles. Plan for this before it happens.

» SECTION 5.3 - Never Enough Time! - Don't buy into the excuse of not having enough time. Setting and achieving goals is too important!

» CHAPTER 6 - Beginning From Here - Our goal setting worksheet or Master Performance Action Plan is a terrific personal goal setting tool that gets results.