Change Your Mindset to Overcome Your Fears

There’s a lot of fear out there when it comes to doing something new in your life.  Fear of the unknown.  Fear of failure.  Fear of what other people will think of you.  Most people start with the mindset that there’s a lot to lose, so they never take the plunge or even try to take the plunge.

Why is this so often the case?

Is it easier for those who start with little or nothing to succeed?

There are A LOT of blogs out there today focused on lifestyle design and creating the life you want.  I’ve noticed a trend with these sites.  Most are started either by young people (early to mid 20′s) or those who were forced into situations where they were required to make a change, such as an unexpected loss of a job.

For these people there’s a higher chance of success because the fear is not contemplated, it’s addressed and overcome.  So, what do I mean by this?

People who are young don’t have a lot of the responsibilities that their older peers might have, including:  large amounts of debt, a spouse and a steady job.  It doesn’t take a whole lot for someone just out of college to say ‘hey, screw getting a traditional job, I’m going to travel the world and see what’s out there.’  For someone who has a family and a steady job, it doesn’t even seem like a possibility.

I don’t want to be presumptuous and say that younger people don’t have any fears, it’s more that they have less responsibilities and financial obligations than what the typical 30 or 40-something has.  There’s less fear because there’s less to lose and young people smartly use this to their advantage.

What about those who lose their jobs?

Well, this is a little bit different.  There sure as hell is fear there, however, there’s no option to ignore it. If you have kids you need to support and a mortgage to pay, then you need to do something.  Sometimes those who had traditional jobs and worked their asses off don’t want to go back to another corporate job.  The business idea or dream that was once sitting in the back of their mind suddenly seems like a possibility.  Now that there is urgency, action is taken.

There is no contemplation, whining and thinking about what if scenarios.  It’s do or die time.  This is why the success rates are higher.  Failure is not an option.

What can we learn from the above?

You need to change your mindset if you want to succeed

1. Address the fear.  Young people have little to no fear because there’s not much to lose.  Those who find themselves in unexpected, dire situations don’t have time to worry about their fears.  They have to overcome it.  So, try to find the middle ground.  Face your fears.  Write them down.  When you spend time to really address what you’re scared of you often realize that your fears are irrational or can be dealt with.
2. Start living uncomfortably. You might not like what you’re doing, but once your paycheck is automatically deposited every two weeks you sure feel comfortable.  It’s safe.  It feels good.  Get over this and do something that makes you feel uncomfortable.  Maybe it’s starting a blog.  Maybe it’s learning a new skill.  Maybe it’s talking to someone in the field you’re interested in to see how they got to where they’re at.  Whatever you do, start mixing it up.
3. Plan and set goals. While you might be in a difficult financial situation, don’t think you’re trapped because of it.  Cut back on expenses.  Carefully plan out how much income you need to bring in monthly to safely cover all of your expenses.  Figure out what it is you want out of life.  It’s crazy how many people don’t do this.  You might not be able to quit your job right this moment to travel around the world, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it at all.  Make this goal your priority.  Start cutting back on other stuff you don’t care about so you can save for travel.
4. Screw societal expectations. You’re never going to do anything if you’re always concerned about what other people think.  It’s very hard for people to get over this and I fully admit that this is a tough one for me as well.  The thing is, you have to stop thinking about what other people think.  If you look at the most successful people out there, they are doing what they want to do on their own terms.  Don’t wait for validation from someone else to do something.  That’s just a cop out.
5. Don’t set yourself up for failure when you haven’t even tried. Don’t think you can’t do it.  Don’t make excuses and tell yourself, ‘I’m not young, I can’t do what that person is doing.’  That’s just BS.  You were once young and you could have done the same thing then, but you didn’t, so take responsibility for it.  There may be some extra hurdles to get over now, but don’t spend a second thinking it’s not possible.  There are plenty of people out there making a go at it and doing great.
6. Act with a sense of urgency. People always think ‘I can start/do that later,’ ‘I’ll wait for next year,’ or even ‘I’ll start tomorrow.’  These are all just excuses to not do anything.  Start living each day with a sense of purpose.  Steve Jobs said it best at his commencement speech to the 2005 graduating class at Stanford: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I’m about to do today?’
7. Take calculated risks. You might not be able to up and leave your current job to start your dream business if you have a family support.  That’s ok.  Start working on it on the side.  Make sure you’re generating some revenue.  Take risks, but make them calculated risks.  Above all, take action. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  You have to actually do something if you want to change.  Even if it’s starting with something small, that’s fine.  Get out there and take some sort of action, however small you think it is.

What are some of your fears?  Do you think it’s easier for those who start with nothing to succeed or is it the opposite?  I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Photo Credit: BenSpark