10 Proven Ways to Overcome Fear and Take the Leap into Success
Image Credit: Unsplash
Author: Mani Mukhija
Fear can be an extremely paralyzing emotion and oftentimes stands as an obstacle between us and the goal we are aiming to accomplish. It can stop us in our tracks, and keep us from taking the necessary steps to leading a successful life. It can cause us to question our abilities, shrink back from a situation or challenge, and give up when it gets tough.
Taking the leap from living in fear to embrace courage and success will yield results that are beyond your wildest dreams. But how do you get there? It can seem like a daunting task, but with the right mindset, you’ll be able to take the leap with confidence and come out triumphant. So if you’re ready to take control of your life and embark on a journey of success, here are 10 proven ways to overcome fear and take the leap into success.
- Identify your fear: The first step to overcoming your fear is to identify what it is that’s holding you back. Oftentimes, it’s not just one fear that is plaguing us, but a combination of fears that keep us from moving forward. Acknowledge the fears you have and attempt to break them down so that you can get to the root of the problem. Once you know the real fear you’re facing, it’ll be easier to formulate a plan to conquer it.
- Take small steps forward: Tackling fear head-on can be overwhelming, so don’t underestimate the power of taking baby steps. Start by making small changes in your life that may help you overcome the fears that have been preventing you from chasing success. Even if the changes you make seem insignificant, the cumulative effect of moving forward can have an immense impact over time.
- Create a support system: It’s difficult to take big leaps when we don’t have support. Having a group of people who can motivate and encourage us can have a huge impact on our progression. Consider building a support system of family, friends, and mentors who can support you as you take steps toward your goals. Knowing you have people who believe in you can go a long way in helping you overcome fear.
- Visualize success: Start envisioning what success looks like for you. Visualization can be a powerful tool in helping you stay focused and inspired as you move towards your objectives. Spend some time to visualize the end result and remind yourself on a daily basis of the goals you’ve set for yourself.
- Turn setbacks into lessons: No one is successful overnight, and fear of failure can be magnified by not achieving desired results quickly. Don’t let yourself get discouraged if setbacks occur. Instead, take the time to assess what went wrong and learn from it. Find the silver lining behind the setback and use it as a lesson to propel you closer to success.
- Overcome perfectionism: Many of us are our own biggest critics which leads to a fear of not measuring up to our own standards. But perfectionism has a way of holding you back from achieving your goals because it creates impediments to progress. So don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t meet your own expectations. Instead, set realistic and achievable goals, and prioritize progress over perfection.
- Don’t compare yourself to others: Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy”. This statement holds true for many reasons. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of measuring your success with someone else’s. We all have our own unique paths to success, so instead of comparing yourself to others, focus on how you are progressing and celebrate your own wins.
- Take risks: If you’re aiming for success, you’ll need to take risks. Fear will tell us that we should stay in our comfort zone, but taking risks is the only way to break out of our old habits and unlock new possibilities. Take small risks and remember that failure is a part of the process.
- Celebrate your successes: We’re all guilty of being too hard on ourselves, but that doesn’t mean that we should forget to celebrate our successes. Acknowledge the milestones you achieve along the journey and use that as a reminder to re-evaluate your goals and readjust as needed. Celebrating your wins along the way will act as a fuel to your progress.
- Believe in yourself: Fear can be an intimidating emotion that can cause us to doubt even our own abilities. But it’s important to have faith and trust in yourself and the process. Believe that you are capable of achieving success and it will be easier to take the necessary steps. Be patient and don’t forget to take time to reflect and appreciate how far you’ve come. You’ve got this!
Taking the leap from a fearful state of mind to a state of success is no easy feat, but with the right tools and mindset, you can move beyond your fears and achieve anything you set your mind to.
Incredible Things Happen When Women Support Women in the Workplace
Incredible Things Happen When Women Support Women in the Workplace
“Keep Aside Competition and Nurture Collaboration” ~Mani Mukhija
Our minds have been trained to compete against each other since there used to be a scarcity of opportunities at the top as compared to the number of aspirants. This mindset has been residing deep within our unconscious mind which is not ready to change. We have tried this strategy over years now. Hardly a few women could be successful with this competitive approach while the majority of women lagged behind when it came to making it up to the decision-making table. There are so many researches that prove the number of female representation in the board rooms is very less as compared to men.
Knowing that the competitiveness has created barriers for women in the workplace and there have been impediments to their professional growth, it’s time we keep aside competition and nurture collaboration.
The time has changed. There is neither a scarcity of opportunities nor the lack of talent pool in the industry. So, why compete against each other? Why not follow a more tactical approach to raise ourselves while lifting other women up.
Until now, we have been trying to fit-in the men’s club at workplace where we could never feel belonged and could never form an equation of parity. This has been the biggest reasons we lack representation of women in the C-suites.
So, here are some of the ideas to support women professionals in the workplace which in turn will help them grow professionally:
Build a strong network
Trying to fit-in the men’s club at workplace hasn’t worked in any ways to improve our professional growth & status. Women have been made to justify their capabilities at each rung of the ladder while men easily get to the higher positions since the decision-making tables are male-dominated and the unconscious bias tend to follow the trend to give preferences to a male over a female.
However, this in any way doesn’t mean or prove that women are less capable than men in any ways. We just need our own club where we our valued, respected and heard. Forming or joining a women-centric network can help exchange viewpoints and seek advice and support for other women who have faced and tackled similar issues. This sure empowers to grow together.
Virago Network is one such junction where women connect and carry the feeling of sisterhood along the networking journey. It’s a newly launched platform and can be imagined like ‘LinkedIn for Women’ where women professionals connect to support and uplift each other. Remember, we’re better together by all means!
Celebrate the differences, raise one another
No two women are alike in personal traits and professional qualifications. Then, why not benefit from our differences by sharing our traits and experiences with one another to raise ourselves. We need to give up on the competitive attitude. Rather start to respect other’s talents and learn from each other. Researches have shown that women are underrepresented at the top. If we knit strongly together to form a pack, we can eliminate gender inequality in the workplace. We need to also build a circle of trust with one another and have each other’s backs when in need. We need to hold each other’s hands to empower and uplift our societal and professional status and gain parity in the workplace because United We Stand and Together We Win!
Keep Aside Competition and Nurture Collaboration
A true leader is someone who is a great team player first. If you want to grow as a leader, be genuine to your goal and work towards it. You first need to be a supportive team player and a mentor. A true leader is one who leads by example. So, amplify other women by collaborating within the network by providing professional advice and support. Nothing can be more gratifying than making the sincere efforts to help change the place of women in the workplace and bring gender parity by helping each other grow together. Remember, we need our supportive network because it is important for our career as well as mental well-being.
The message to the women professionals is that they should not underestimate the power of women supporting each other at work. When women lift each other, they model the respect and opportunity they wish to see. And the change is bound to happen!
-by Mani Mukhija