“Thinking will not overcome fear but action will.” W.Clement Stone.

We have lived in very challenging circumstances over the past few years. We had to cope with the Covid pandemic and then war broke out in Ukraine. We have seen a significant rise in energy costs and the price of food..

When Covid hit, the UK Government did a good job of warning people about the dangers of the virus and stressing the importance of social distancing, hygiene measures and of people staying at home. When restrictions were eased, I saw lots of examples of people feeling anxious about the relaxation of measures.

Many people were frightened about leaving their homes, having greater human interaction, returning to work and public places. Now many people are anxious about how they will meet the cost of their energy, mortgages/rent and weekly food shops. It’s fair to say there has been a lot of fear and anxiety around.

Observing how people react differently to the changes in their environments and routines got me thinking about the effect that outside events and fear can have on our life experiences and results. Fear can stop us being the best that we can be, achieving our goals and fulfilling our potential.

We’re are all born with unlimited potential but on occasions we simply get in our own way and make life more complicated than it really needs to be. There’s a great quotation by Confucius, “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated!”

Sometimes the biggest limitations we have in life are the ones that we impose on ourselves and have in our own minds.

Fear is one of our biggest limitations (or interferences as I like to call them). Many people refer to fear as “False Expectations Appearing Real!” Much of what we worry about and are frightened by never actually happens. However, this doesn’t stop us worrying!

There are many fears that stop people fulfilling their potential and goals. These include a fear of change and the unknown which keeps us stuck in our comfort zone. Also, a fear of rejection stops us asking for what we want and a fear of criticism prevents us attempting a new approach to a task. A fear of success for some individuals means they self-sabotage their results so that they continue to mesh with the crowd.

The effect of fear on results and people’s lives forms part of the coaching discussions that I have with a fair proportion of clients at some stage. It can be when I’m working with a leader of a blue-chip company, a sales director, someone new to management, an individual looking to start their own business or change jobs or a mum returning to work.

When people are going through or contemplating some form of change in their life, it can cause fears to crop up. Often people don’t realise the impact that fear is having on them and how it’s holding them back until they start talking about their goals or challenges. It’s normally an unconscious behaviour.

It appears that we’re all afraid of something whether it’s spiders, flying, speaking in public or walking into a roomful of strangers. The philosopher Bertrand Russell said “Fear is the main source of superstition and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.” Fear is a very small word but can have a massive impact on someone’s life and performance. It can be a powerful and paralysing force. 

I was once told we’re born with just two fears – the fear of noise and falling down.  Every other fear we have is a learned behaviour.  The good news about interferences including fear is that as they are a learned behaviour and therefore, we can unlearn them!  It requires us to form some new habits and behaviours. Changing our daily habits and rituals is the starting point that allows us to get out of our own way.

Challenges and obstacles do present us with an opportunity to learn and grow. We discover new depths as we search for solutions to overcome them. We may find that we are more creative than we realised when we devise solutions that are new and innovative. This can help develop our self-confidence and self-worth. Self-belief can increase when we face and overcome obstacles. Faith in our ability when confronted with challenging situations is a great habit to develop.

Adopting a positive mindset to obstacles is another great quality to hone. As is, believing that obstacles are an opportunity to gain new knowledge and experience. Overcoming interferences provides a sense of accomplishment and is a useful future reference point when faced with similar challenges.

If there is a fear you would like to overcome, getting some external help or friend’s support is a good way to start the ball rolling. It provides an accountability mechanism and is a source of encouragement and external input that we all need sometimes.

This week, why not take a few moments out to reflect and think about the role that fear plays in your life. Is there a fear that is holding you back and preventing you from achieving your potential? If so, what small steps will you commit to in order to conquer the grip that this fear has on you?

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk