Fear. Not fun to talk about but, when we do, we name – and shed light upon – perhaps the number one thing that holds us back regarding whatever we would like to accomplish.
Could that really be true though? Does fear really play that big a role in our lives?
According to internationally-known speaker and recognized success coach, Lisa Jimenez…yes, it does. She believes that fear (and its cousins, such as worry, anxiety and self-doubt) paralyzes us and keeps us from reaching that which we desire.
The good news is that she has mastered helping people to uncover their fears and turn them instead into the powerful beliefs that can propel one to huge accomplishments.
While the topic itself seems like kind of a downer 🙂 you’ll find Lisa to be one of the most uplifting people you’ve ever experienced. Enjoy our chat!
After listening to Lisa, do you agree with her assessment of fear? If so, what steps are you willing to take to overcome whatever fears are holding you back in order to propel yourself on to the success that is your birthright?
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Thanks for this interview Bob, and thank you for the info Lisa! 🙂 After some thought, the fear that is currently limiting me is this: I’m afraid to leave my job. I know that if I did I would have so much more time to work on and build my business, something that would enable my dream life. I’m afraid that if I leave my job I won’t be able to come up with the funds I need to pay rent, or buy food, or put gas in my car. The thing is I only need three clients a month to match my current income, and will 40 hours of my time a week freed up to focus on finding clients and working with them, it shouldn’t be hard for me to find 10 or even 20 clients a month. It shouldn’t be hard for me to create products that can bring me income passively to alleviate some of those fears.
That’s where I’ve been focusing my time actually, on creating products that make income passively and consistently so it will be easier for me to leave my “just over broke” job and start working on my fortune 😉
Again, thanks for the thoughts and information and calls to action, it really helps me to focus. It will take me a little time to deal with those fears but as you guys said, awareness of the fear is a great place for me to start, now I can start working on my reasons why, making them strong enough to pale those fears by comparison. Take care Bob and Lisa!
Mike
MikeMonty.net
Thanks for the reply, Bob 🙂 I have been chatting with Julie about this a lot lately, and just like you suggest, I have been working on it part time. I believe it was Jim Rohn that I heard talking about working full time on his job and working part time on his fortune. That’s how I’m approaching this. I have to keep working full time until my part time makes just as much. At that point I’ll have absolutely no valid reasons to keep a job. Thanks again for the thought provoking interview and for your response, Bob 🙂 You have a great day 😉
Hi Mike, first, congratulations just on the fact that you are able to identify your fear and be conscious of it. You are still at a very young age so being able to listen to the wise teaching of someone like Lisa and then immediately applying what she says in order to help you identify the fear says a lot about you. And, the fears you mentioned, such as paying rent, buying food and putting gas in your car are indeed very legitimate fears. Or, if not fears, at least serious considerations. So, my suggestion would be to not be too hasty in making a decision before giving it lots of thought, and seeking counsel from Julie, who I know you have worked with out where you are. Also, you might ask questions of yourself such as, is taking a little bit extra time to build your business (remember, you are young, my friend) 🙂 in order that you also know you can support yourself worth it? Or, is a clean break necessary? Of course, I cannot answer any of these questions for you; you’ll need to do that. But, please seek people such as Julie and others who are in a position to provide wise counsel before making a snap decision (perhaps, the snap decision would be doing something out of the “fear of having fear” rather than it being the right actual decision). Remember, many people who’ve built a hugely successful business worked on these things part-time while holding a regular job and, while it might have taken a bit longer, they were able to build with confidence and a great foundation. Again, decision yours – just don’t rush into it out of the “fear of fear.”
Excellent. Jim Rohn and Julie Larson are an excellent mentor team!!
Hi Bob,
As always great post…
What I have found works for me when confronting fear that is holding me back, is to really exam what I believe is the worst outcome that can come from the action… A lot of times the worst case scenario can easily be fixed or reversed if it comes to fruition.
Example
I recently hired a few new employees for a consulting company I own, I had been putting it off as it means putting less money in my pocket every month.
I looked at the pro’s and con’s of the decision. The fear that was holding me back was that I would not bring on enough additional business to offset this outlay in cash and consequently my business would be less profitable.
So the worst case scenario is that I would end up making less profit per month for a few months. So when i framed it like this I simple said that if I didn’t bring in the new business after two months i could always shrink my overhead back down and return to where I was originally.
On the flip side the pro’s meant the business could grow, I could employ more people, and I could help more customers grow their companies..
Not sure if this method is universal but I have found in my life that the fear of the worst case scenario is easily neutralized when you exam what you would do if you find yourself dealing with the worst case scenario.. Then you can move forward without any worries.
Just finished your last book recommendation “Bring your people with you” great read.
Looking forward to future recommendations
Stuart, thank you for your kind words, and for sharing your wisdom with us regarding your excellent method for handling a fear. Sounds like you have a great handle on it. Way to go. And, thank you so much for sharing that with us. I’m sure that not only will we all benefit by the principle you shared, but there are probably some readers going through a very similar situation as you described, and your advice will provide them with something excellent to consider. And, glad you enjoyed David Novak’s book. Indeed, it has become one of my all-time favorites.
Fantastic interview! Thank you Bob for introducing us to the powerhouse that is Lisa!
A year ago I quit my day job to pursue my part-time business full time. Most of my coworkers, upon hearing of my departure and my plans, asked one thing: “Are you scared?” My response, “Yes! I’m terrified!” But the thing was, I had become even more terrified that I’d never pursue my dream and someday I’d look back on my life with regret and wonder how I’d let fear get the better of me. (Note: I had worked on my plan for 5+ years, saved money as a cushion, and so I’d reduced a lot of fears that way.)
One year later I have made a profit and been able to take care of my expenses and maintain my quality of life. Fear is still there – sometimes daily – but I’ve learned to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I’ve learned to stare fear down and say “You bug me, but you don’t own me!” And it’s still hard every time, and I’m still terrified sometimes. I can’t wait to read Lisa’s book. I may need to read it ever day!
Kim, thank you for your kind words. And thank you for sharing YOUR powerhouse of wisdom. What a terrific testimony. You approached everything exactly the right way. While you had fear, you also prepared correctly (USING the fear correctly) before diving in and making the commitment. And, you are able to admit that you have the fear…AND you are doing what you need to do in spite of it. Way to go, my friend. Thank you again for sharing!
This is great! Just hearing her say “healthy relationship with failure” caused a huge “Aha” for me… Thanks so much, Bob and Lisa!
Thank you for sharing that, Sandra. Don’t you love how a certain phrase can have special meaning, and often come at just the right time? Thank you!
Ah fear. There is a whole industry built on using fear to entertain us, so yes it is very real.
My partners and I have been in business for almost 12 years now. It does not go away. Fear is part of being human and keeps us alive. You get used to fear at a certain level and then push that level higher over time. If you are still growing there will be fear.
I’ve seen a lot of people run from fear and use it as a reason to not be their best. Not everyone needs to be in business but everyone should strive to great at something.
Personally I’ve found my fears to be around acceptance and too much success. Naming the fear helped push through it. Essentially do the stuff anyway.
The biggest issue, being fearful and not understanding the root.
All terrific points, Doug. Well thought out, and well stated, my friend. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us!
A very usefull article – Thank you very much I wish you will not mind me blogging about this article on my website. Thank You
Hi Bob… First I must thank Karem Vera for reposting the link to this call. I can miss stuff with so many connections. This interview was awesome. Lisa Jimenez is a fabulous talent and right in our own backyard. I definitely need to get out more. I’m actually taking myself to a training to deal with the fear this weekend. Just thinking about it brings up all the stuff. Now most people would say… You have fear? Yes, we all do. The more I move into a bigger playing field, the more the stuff comes up. Sometimes, I just want to stay in bed and tell everyone that I’m having a bad Michael day and everyone would understand and I would be left alone, except that I know that I’m not being true to what Michael wanted for me and for himself. So off I go to peel away another layer of fear and move forward so that I can help others move forward. Have a fabulous weekend. Eat a DD for me. Nancy
Nancy, thank you for sharing yourself with us in that post. First, yes, I agree that Lisa is awesome! Great to have her right here in South Florida with us, isn’t it? Secondly, what’s so great about what you are saying is that you are acknowledging the fear AND still doing what needs to be done. And, that speaks volumes about you. And, you set a terrific example for everyone who learns from you…and that is all of us!