Business and leadership success start with a discipline of mindset moves, including having fun with your fear.
Everything you do in business sits on a foundation of thinking discipline.
Those mindset moves have to be ninja-level to survive. One of the most important is having fun with your fear. I call these kinds of fears ‘purpose-driven.’
- I can’t afford to hire help yet.
- What if this fails? What will they think?
- This has already been done; who am I to try this?
- What if this isn’t good enough?
I picked a few you might resonate with. I’m sure more of them are swimming around in your head, trying to take up precious real estate.
Don’t let them. Every moment you allow those thoughts in is a waste of time. What’s a better, healthier, more aligned way to think?
By the way, that fear of not-good-enough? It’s boring. This isn’t about you anymore.
There’s someone waiting for you to make your strategic move, someone whose life will be changed by your courage.
A successful leader can switch instantly from the pit of fear to strategic thinking badassery. After thirty years in health care, over two decades of training in the martial arts, and growing a new business from five to multiple six figures, I follow three basic mindset steps to guide me, especially on the tough-decision days.
1. Connect with your intuition
As soon as leaders in business open up to the powerful connection to their intuition and inner wisdom, the world will be a different place.
You may have been taught not to feel. But it’s your heightened sense of feeling (your gut instincts and intuition) that you can trust when it comes to making tough decisions.
You can rely on something much bigger than you. Your mind, however, will always keep you in fear to keep you safe.
Get to know your mind and the tricks it plays. Don’t fall for it. Everything good happens in your discomfort zone. Learn to trust what you feel, rather than what you think.
2. Know the difference between fear and purpose-driven fear
The problem with most purpose-driven fears are that they feel much like primal, survival fear—it feels like you’re gonna die. So we have to practice other-level connection to what we’re sensing.
The ninja moves of awareness include watching our habitual thoughts, and noticing what you feel. Often, purpose-driven fear has an extra added quality of excitement to it.
And those kinds of fears are always connected to our big life goals. The discernment here is the key.
Getting really good at knowing the difference will mean you’ll be ready for the third, and final key, to success: taking action with your fear.
3. Take action before you’re ready
You’ll never feel clear, confident, or courageous first. Taking action with the feeling of fear is how you start to have fun with it.
It’s only after you take action that you gain those sought-after feelings of confidence, clarity, and courage. Once you get to know those purpose-driven fear feelings you can look them straight in the eye (or gut) and say, “I know you’re afraid, but we’re doing this anyway!”
A consistent strategy of action taking ensures you’re moving through your fears on a regular basis, which means you’re building the confidence, clarity, courage, and wisdom you need to be a success, as well as lead others.
Connect. Discern. Act.
Easy, right? It does take practice. With awareness, you have a choice.
Build your practice into a discipline of ninja-level mindset moves and watch as your business thrives.
