Leadership

6 Ways to Ensure Fear Doesn’t Win

By Ron Pereira Updated on November 9th, 2010

How motivated are you right now? Very? A little? Not much?

The honest answer to this question might explain how happy and fulfilled you feel as a person. Let’s explore why this is.

Defined, motivation can be said to be the psychological feature that arouses an organism toward or away from an object or situation. And, to be sure, motivation has many faces.

You see, it’s motivation that helps a child learn to swim. It’s motivation that drives the entrepreneur to start their own company. And it’s motivation that helps the athlete wake at 4:30 AM each morning so they can get 2 extra hours of training in before the rest of the world rolls out of bed.

Fear and Desire

And, in all cases, motivation is dominated by two polar opposite emotions – fear and desire.

Fear is the greatest inhibitor mankind has ever known. Fear is restrictive. It induces panic, doubt, and ultimately leads to failure for both individuals and organizations.

Put another way, the person overwhelmed by fear attempts to navigate the road of life by only looking in the rear view mirror. Imagine how dangerous this would be when driving a car? If you never looked forward you’d be sure to crash within minutes.

Desire, on the other hand, is like a strong magnet. It attracts success. It helps us reach towards something better, something worthy.  And, luckily, it’s available to each of us making it possible to look forward as we head towards something better.

And while this is all well and good…. how do we accomplish this? Well, here are 6 things I propose. And while I too am a work in process these tips have helped me achieve success in the corporate world while also driving me to ultimately start my own company.

1. Find your true north

For me, nothing is more important than my wife and children. I live for them. Besides helping each of them make it to heaven, providing for them on earth is my number one duty.

So, my true north is my Maker and family. When I feel down or uninspired I think of them and realize why I do what I do.

So I encourage you to truly seek out your true north. Why do you do what you do? And when you die, what do you want written on your tombstone?

2. Remove the word can’t from you vocabulary

I’ve written about this before… but the word can’t is like cancer. In fact, it’s pure poison as it relates to achieving success.

So, when faced with something hard or difficult, instead of saying “I can’t” say something like “I presently struggle with.”

3. Set daily goals

I find it very important to set daily goals. In fact, I have a series of post it notes staring me in the face right now with things I need to get done today.

And the most powerful motivational aspect of this list is how encouraged I feel when I begin to cross things off. I feel like I am winning and I want more.

So, make a list of things you want to accomplish today as soon as you’re done reading this.

4. One task at a time

A close cousin to #3 is to finish what you start. Nothing is more deflating than starting 5 exciting projects or tasks and never finishing any of them.  So, be sure to finish what you start so you can cross things off that list you’ll soon create!

5. Network with successful people

It’s easy to write the words – face your fears. But, in reality, it’s much harder to do it. This is why it’s important to seek out successful people who can help you.

I have been fortunate enough to find many people I call mentors in life. In fact, I now call two of these people business partners!

So, instead of making the trip alone, seek out help from people who have done what you’re trying to do. They’re out there and many of them would be happy to help. You just need to ask.

6. Look forward

Finally, I know people who have been burned in the past. They have been wronged personally and, in some cases, professionally.

As such, these people allow these wrongs to control every aspect of their personal and professional lives. They inherently think of the worst in people and rarely think of the good.

Truthfully, I feel sorry for these people as very few of them seem to be genuinely happy.

So, as hard as it might be, I’d encourage you to do your best to right the wrongs you have experienced… and when you’ve done all you can move forward with life.

What do you think?

What do you think of this list? Do you agree with it? What things invoke fear and desire for you or your organization?


  1. Kristen Thompson

    November 8, 2010 - 9:25 am
    Reply

    Thank you for such a wonderful post to start our week! One thing I would add to your list is to find work you truly love. Life is too short to do something you cannot stand.

  2. Chris Stebbins

    November 9, 2010 - 8:26 am
    Reply

    I struggle with your 6th point but do realize the demons of the past will keep me from moving forward. Thanks for the inspiration to face my issues.

  3. Jeremy Garner

    November 9, 2010 - 9:11 am
    Reply

    Wow! This post was providential for me. Fear has been so paralyzing at times. You can’t control feelings of fear but you’re right you can seek out the motivation to move beyond it’s downward pull. My kids have taught me so much about faith. When my oldest son was about 2, we were climbing at the jungle gym on the playground. He was reaching for the top and his little hands began to shake due to anxiety. I told him, “Daddy’s right here and Daddy won’t let you fall!” He began to repeat those words verbally to himself as he slowly but determinedly made his way to the top. After we exulted over our play time conquest, I had a long look of introspection. That day I left the park with the conviction in my heart to have the same confidence in my Heavenly Father, that my son had shown me in his child like faith! “For God has not given us the spirit of fear but of love, power and a sound mind.”

  4. Mark R Hamel

    November 10, 2010 - 8:01 am
    Reply

    Hi Ron,

    Inspiring post! One thing that I might add is to not fear failure, but to instead use it as part of our personal PDCA.

    This means having the courage to honestly reflect (check) and then humbly make the necessary adjustments to close our gaps, re-orient, etc. I firmly believe that our “Maker” is more interested in process (including what is in our heart) than outputs. Outputs can oftentimes be elusive because of things that are outside of our control.

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