4 Fears That Hold You Back from Getting Started

Generally speaking, fear is the biggest obstacle that hinders us from taking action. It causes us to delay making decisions, taking initiative and jumping into things with confidence and drive.

But perhaps the most frustrating of all is when fear holds us back from starting something. Here are 4 common fears that could be causing you to struggle with getting started. Being able to pinpoint them will help you better understand how to overcome them.

1.) Fear Of Failure

You’ve been assigned an important project that could be a turning point in your career. It requires you to draw on all of your skills and talents and while you’re excited about the opportunity, you just can’t take those first steps to get the ball rolling. What if you fail miserably and end up doing a terrible job?

Fear of failure often accompanies new projects and endeavors, preying on our self-doubts and insecurities – that we often blow up into scenarios of doom and gloom. Yes, failure is always a possibility but if you realistically assess it and plan for it, it will cease to paralyze you into inaction.

Also, focusing on the more likely possibility of spectacular success will alleviate your fear and ignite your motivation.

2. Fear Of Risk

There are different types of risks such as financial, emotional or even physical risks. The fear of losing money on a new venture for example can hold you back from getting started. The fear of expressing your emotions openly can hold you back from starting a new relationship. Risk entails loss and naturally, it can make us hesitate when it comes to taking those first steps.

However, there are two things we ignore. Your fears could be unfounded or exaggerated. Secondly, risk can be factored into your plans so that you can minimize or eliminate it. When you assess the possible risks and plan for how to deal with them if they do occur, your whole perception changes. You feel more confident about proceeding because not only are you mentally prepared, but you also have a plan B for mitigating or overcoming potential risks.

3. Fear Of Rejection

As you probably guessed, this is a fear that preys on emotional security. It can hold you back from entering into potentially amazing relationships. It can hold you back from changing your job or even starting a new career, among other things.

Fear of rejection can be overcome by learning to express your emotions and feelings openly, and totally accepting and valuing who you are. Self-acceptance and self-worth helps you understand that you’re not always going to be accepted by everyone and that rejection is a part of our life journey. But that’s fine with you because at the end of the day, you’re comfortable with who you are and don’t need to strive for acceptance from others.

With that obstacle out of your way, starting a task or project becomes exciting and you’re able to jump right in.

4. Fear Of Ridicule

Fear of ridicule is related to emotional pain, something we want to avoid at all costs. We all have memories of being ridiculed (or even bullied) in school and sadly, those memories are difficult to erase. This is why we often avoid starting something that may lead to our being ridiculed or made fun of. This fear is also related to self-consciousness, body image and feelings of inferiority.

Again, the way to overcome this fear is by fostering self-acceptance and self-worth. When you believe in yourself and in your abilities, the fear of ridicule diminishes as your self-confidence grows.

Conclusion

Overcoming these 4 fears involves confronting them, realistically assessing them and following these suggestions to eliminate them.

Once liberated from your particular fear, you’ll be able to soar. Starting new projects and endeavors sparks your motivation and purpose because you have full confidence in yourself that you’ll succeed…and succeed brilliantly!

Until next time,