What Keeps Us from Reaching Our Dreams?

Why do many of us fail to chase our dreams? We all have something that we want to do. However, we never seem to get around to it. Something always comes up. We sit around, watch others succeed, and then are filled with jealousy and envy. That something can be summed up in one word: FEAR.

Fear of failure or fear of making mistakes may be the number one reason we don’t start a business for ourselves. Some fears are rational. What happens if we lose our life savings and can’t find a job? Most though are irrational. Humans are pessimistic by nature. Do you see the glass half-empty or half full?

Perseverance is arguably the number #1 trait of an entrepreneur. I write about it in my upcoming e-book. The will to never give up; to keep on trying, despite failure after failure is too much for many of us to endure. If you can master this one skill, you will be successful. Walt Disney was fired from his first news job because he wasn’t creative enough. What if he gave up and became an accountant? Some other mouse would be the most famous rodent in history. I’d like to meet the guy who delivered that pink slip. My guess is he is doing something else. Or, consider one of the greatest inventors of all time, Thomas Edison. He failed over 10,000 times trying to develop the light bulb. What if he gave up? We’d all be living in the dark. He didn’t look at it as failure, just 10,000 ways not to do it correctly. This is a perfect example of perseverance, turning a perceived negative into a positive. So, what can you do to overcome your fears?

1. For starters, embrace fear as a learning experience. Don’t fear criticism. Use it as a tool to improve.

2. Aim big. Be decisive when taking chances. Indecision leads to doubt, which leads to fear.

3. Set SMART goals: Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-based

4. Get rid of toxic people. They will only keep you down. They have no ambition for success, and would like nothing more to make sure you stay in the same place they do.

5. Finally, eliminate procrastination. It is the kryptonite to success.

Remember, fear is only a state of mind. As FDR famously said during the Great Depression, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” All of the greats in business had fears. The difference is they learned to control their fears, not have their fears control them.

I would love to hear some of the things you do to overcome your fears.