How to NOT let fear hold you back

Fear can be very pesky.  It’s something that can really get in the way of a good thing.  

Stop you in your tracks.

Hold you back from your own greatness.

It can make you procrastinate and stop you moving towards your goal.  Usually leaving you frustrated, lacking in confidence, believing you can’t do it and thinking ‘what’s wrong with me’!

And we can’t have that can we!

It held me back for a very long time from doing the things that I really wanted to do, all those ‘if only’s’ that you live with, that stay ‘if only’s’ if you don’t face your fear.

It kept me stuck where I was, miserable in a job that didn’t fulfill me anymore, scared to go ‘all in’ on the dream business I was trying to set up.

Fear of failure, fear of success (yes that’s a thing!), fear of being wrong, fear of a lack of control, fear of a lack of money, fear of what other people might think, fear of not being good enough, fear of not being liked…you name it I was scared of it.

Which meant nothing changed, which meant I was miserable but afraid of taking a leap, which meant nothing changed…can you see where I’m going with this?!

So I wanted to break fear down for what it really is and give you a few ways to NOT let it hold you back.

So what is fear?  Fear is False Evidence Appearing Real.

That’s it.  

What we fear hasn’t even happened yet, it’s not in the now.  

When we imagine the predicted outcome we can get consumed by it as if it already IS real, we feel the same physiological feelings as if this future thing had already happened so that makes it feel even MORE real…unless we challenge it.

We often know we’re fearful of something but we push it aside, pretend it’s not there and don’t deal with it, but when we DO is when we stop being afraid.

That’s the key.  Creating that awareness first that it’s not real is a huge step in the right direction for it never having to be!

Here’s a few practical things you can do to make sure Fear doesn’t hold you back:

What are you actually afraid of?

Failure, success, rejection, money, not being good enough? If you understand what you’re ACTUALLY afraid of then you can start to work through it.

Acknowledge it.

Once you acknowledge your fear rather than be crippled by it you can start to find that fire in your belly and determination to move through it.  Get aquainted with your fear. Once you get to know your fear, you can work on it!

Question it!

Is this fear really real?

What could I do to stop the thing I fear becoming a reality?

What’s the best/worst case scenario if you do/don’t push through?

What is on the other side of your fear?

What do you bring into your life by not fearing it anymore?

Be honest about what is real and what is just a story you’ve told yourself that you’ve ever questioned.

Meditation.

I know you might think it’s a bit woo-woo but meditation is a science backed approach for dealing with a huge array of things, including fear.  It literally changes the structure of our brains.  Download an app like Calm and give it a go, what do you have to lose?

Journal.

Journal through your fears.  Gratitude is a positive psychology intervention and cannot exist in the same space as fear.  Write down things, moments and situations that you’re grateful for. Have a browse of some of the exercises and journal pages I created to help here. https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/franexcellprintables

Get a coach.

It is HARD to navigate through the inevitable mindset gremlins and fears that come up on your own.  It’s SO much easier when you have someone who knows how to help you unlock it, help you see fear for what it is and challenge it without letting you get in your own way.

Understand that EVERYONE has these fears, you’re not on your own in this.

Understand that the fear centre in our brains feels like it’s working FOR us but actually it’s working against us.  It’s not being helpful but it really is your CHOICE if you listen to it or not.

Move TOWARDS fear.  Acknowledge it and let it fuel you in the knowledge that there is usually something great on the other side of it.  Don’t let it hold you back.

Click play below to watch a video of me talking you through what fear is and how to not let it hold you back:

Fx

Fran Excell, Subconscious Success Mentor – Helping Business Owners Overcome Self Sabotage & Get More Done In Less Time at www.franexcell.com

RESOURCES:

Check out The Positive Pants Podcast here

Download your FREE Stressed To Success Meditation here

Shop Printables & Meditations here

Grab your 365 day ‘Attitude Of Gratitude’ Journal here

Grab Your ‘Positive Pants Firmly On’ Notebook here

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