Are you frozen by fear?
I was trading emails with a fellow entrepreneur the other day on the topic of fear. We don’t always call it that – sometimes we call it “procrastination” which is really fear of failure or criticism – one of the things we tell ourselves to justify standing still.
We were talking about how easy it is to question everything and find ourselves awash in indecision.
I asked him about the difficult life circumstance that spurred him to take action on his entrepreneurial vision: “Once the worst that could happen happened, you became fearless?”
His response was excellent. He said
“It wasn’t the worst that could happen, but it was bad enough to instill in me a sense of urgency.
When worrying if a forum post is worded just so, or wondering if I should take a particular tone in a blog, or worrying what someone will think if I send them an email out of the blue, I frequently realize I just don’t have time.
If something feels like I should do it or it looks at least 75% correct or it meets the minimum requirement for not being dumb, I just do it.
Fear isn’t a consideration because I don’t have time to wait for a perfect situation to arrive that’s risk-free.”
This is the heart of entrepreneurship – overcoming what Seth Godin calls the “resistance” in the “Lizard Brain” holding us back.
What is holding you back today? Do you have time for that?
I teach my kids “Courage is not the absence of fear. True courage is when you’re afraid, but you do the right thing anyway – in spite of being afraid.”
If you’re going to fail today, do it as a result of taking action. Don’t stand still like a deer in the headlights because you’re uncertain about the outcome.
Bold risk taking based on the wisdom resulting from your experiences is a key part of Raising Your Game.
Go for it!
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