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6 Ways to Scare Yourself into Success

Ready to make a change? Here are 6 Ways to Scare Yourself into Success!

Fear is a natural feeling that does very little for us. Sometimes it can help keep us alive.

Most of the time, it helps us rationalize why we “can’t” move forward with our dreams and goals. Ultimately, fear is the common enemy we all share. In honor of Halloween, let’s discuss six easy ways you can scare yourself into the successful future that lies ahead of you. 

#1 Imagine Today is the Last Day of Your Life   

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If today was the last day of your life, how would you spend the day? Who would you speak with? What would you do that differs from yesterday? If today is drastically different than the average day, you know it is time to make life changes. Now, what are you going to do about it? 

#2 Pretend the Person You Love Most is Dead  

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Gary Vaynerchuk talks about perspective and how so many of us walk around with very little of it. In his podcast, he mentions he keeps himself grounded on a weekly basis by pretending that his family is gone. Why would anyone want to do this? It is an excellent way of forcing your brain to remember what matters most. No matter what you accomplish in life, the people you love most still matter more to you. Making money feels good. Buying shiny new things can be very fun. Living a life without love or passion is extremely unsettling. When you are dealing with an obstacle at work or in your business, you can employ this trick to force yourself to realize this challenge really isn’t a big deal. If your loved ones are with you and you are alive, then you can get over the challenge. So, what? Keep moving forward and stop standing in your own way! 

#3 Ask Yourself the Tough Questions   

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When you are in the middle of facing a fear, do you ever ask yourself these questions? 

  • What is the best-case scenario? 
  • What does success mean to you? 
  • What happens if you aren’t successful? 
  • Do other people’s opinions matter more than your own opinions? 
  • Why do you want ____________________ (fill in the blank)?  
  • Are you willing to do whatever it takes to ____________________ (fill in the blank)?  

Fear is a feeling. It isn’t a fact or even a reality unless you make it that way. The best way to conquer fear requires practicality and reasoning. Your emotions can betray you and get in the way of the reality you are living. 

#4 Do Something that Scares You Every Week  

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Recently, I launched the new WokeNFree Storytime episode and I was forced to conquer my own fears as a content creator. Writing stories isn’t something new to me. I have been writing stories and creating content since I was a child but, publicly sharing my fictional content is VERY new to me. What scared me? Something most authors and content creators spend too much time thinking about…what the audience will think about the content. How do you get over this fear? You must get over YOURSELF. Who cares what other people think about the content? Do you love it? Are you proud of the work? That is all that matters. Is it nice when people like the content you share? Absolutely. Does the world stop when they don’t? Not at all. Do what you love. Pay attention to how your work is received for analytical assessment. Ultimately, you must learn to live beyond the likes and follows.  

#5 Spend Time with Those Who Live with Regrets 

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Do you live with regret? Do you know people who live with regret? Most people are living with regret and worry. Why? No one is perfect. Sometimes we say things we don’t intend to say or do things we know aren’t great, but we do it anyway. Gary Vaynerchuk has also suggested that people spend time with older people who are living with decades of regret. How is this helpful? You will gain so much perspective and understanding about what life is all about. Life is made up of all the decisions we make. First, our parents or guardians made decisions for us. Soon enough, we grow up and begin to make decision after decision for ourselves. With each decision, we have the option to make choices that we want to live with or regret for years to come. Spending time with people who have more regrets than they can count is an important reminder that you need to live in a way that you want now and many years from now. 

#6 Accept Help 

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If you are facing a fear or challenge right now, wouldn’t it be nice to know if you had a support system in place to help you get through it? So, what is stopping you from getting the help you need? Are you standing in front of your own way? Does this make any sense? Why, do you do this to yourself? That is for you to answer. As a coach, I see most people I deal with stand in their own way with many of the following reasons: 

  • Lack of worthiness 
  • Low self-esteem 
  • Lack of a support system 
  • Lack of self-belief 
  • Lack of resourcefulness   
  • Lack of desire to change their behavior 

Are you ready to scare yourself into success?