Thank you for listening to the Champion Forum Podcast with Jeff Hancher! You have big dreams for your life. However, it can be difficult to hold on to your dream when you are dealing with fear. In this episode, Jeff reveals the three fears that will threaten to kill your dreams and five ways that you can deal with fear. Whether you are dealing with fears in your personal or work life, this week’s podcast will help you protect not only your dream but also your self confidence and your passion.
Dream Killers
Fear of Failure
When life is good, we are hesitant to take risks and jeopardize our position.
Perfectionism is at the root of the fear of failure. Perfectionists see failure as so terrible that they feel it is better to not even try.
Fear of Pain
Success requires sacrifice, which can be uncomfortable.
You need to decide if you are afraid of the pain of sacrifice or the pain of never achieving your dream.
Fear that you are not good enough
It is not who you are that is holding you back; it is who you think you are not.
You may find yourself saying, “I’m not smart enough. I’m not educated enough. I don’t communicate well. I don’t have experience. Etc.”
Self-doubt can keep you from pursuing worthwhile challenges and realizing your potential.
Q: Which of these fears resonates most with you? What have you done to work against that fear specifically? What have been unwilling to do because of fear? What would you dream for yourself if you could work without fear? What would you dream for your business or team?
Ways to deal with fear
Determine if your dream is something you should do or something you must do
If your dream is something you would just like to do, it will be harder to push past fear. But, If you know that you must accomplish your dream, you will have the strength to overcome fear.
Go all in.
Recognize your excuses
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” - Benjamin Franklin
Excuses keep us in our comfort zone.
Once you know what your excuses are, you can decide that those excuses are not acceptable!
Adopt a mindset of growth
Your abilities are not fixed; you can grow!
Look for courses, books, podcasts, etc. that can help you improve in some skill.
Specifically works against the fear that you are not good enough.
Personal growth breeds self-confidence, and self-confidence fends off fear.
Gain insight from pain
When you make a mistake or fall short in some way, you may experience discomfort and pain.
Don’t fear pain. Instead, allow it to be your teacher so that you can avoid making the same mistake again.
Pain is temporary, but it can teach a lesson that will last a lifetime!
Realize setbacks are possible
Dwelling on past mistakes causes us to put self-imposed limits on our potential.
Mistakes make us better when we learn from them.
If you give up on your dreams, you are guaranteeing failure.
Q: What excuses have you used in the past for not chasing after your dreams? Are those excuses any different at work versus in your personal life? Based on these five strategies, what advice would you give to a member of your team who was struggling with one of the fears mentioned in the first half of the episode? How can you identify which strategy is most important for you to master first?
Everyone faces some form of opposition to their dreams. The good news about the fears listed in this episode is that you can defeat them. Every time you decide not to embrace fear, you are one step closer to seeing your dream become a reality. Use the strategies we discussed in this episode to help you build your confidence and grow through your mistakes.
Application Activities
Are there any fears that you would add to this list? Which strategies listed for dealing with fears would help you deal with that additional fear? Why?
Part of being a good leader is learning how to lead others. What fears are your employees facing either at work or in their personal lives? Take the time to invest into at least one employee this week and share this podcast with them. Ask them if there is anything that you can do to help them with any of the five strategies for dealing with fear. Be prepared to encourage, recommend resources, or give examples of ways that they can move past fear caused by mistakes or setbacks.
Ask your spouse or a close friend or family member to speak into these fears and strategies for dealing with fears. Sometimes those around us can see the excuses we make or setbacks we dwell on more clearly than we can. Ask them to help you identify areas where you have been allowing fear to kill your dreams and brainstorm ways that you can protect your dream and keep moving forward, even in a difficult season.
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