Tag: GetMoreDone

Simple Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Taking Action

Posted on by Chris Mahan

Don’t fault yourself for being afraid of taking that big step–the massive action that needs to happen in order for you to realize your dream! It’s a natural response to moving out of your comfort zone. But while you shouldn’t rebuke yourself for feeling fearful, neither should you wallow in it so that you never get past it. When fear rears its ugly head, use these simple tactics to put it in perspective and move on.

Recognize fear is only a feeling

Fear can feel very, very real. But it’s only an emotion that survives and thrives when we dwell on it and start to believe it. The first step in mastering your fear of taking massive action is to remind yourself that fear is only an emotion – one that you can control.

Remember, everyone has experienced fear of failure

Most everyone experiences fear before they try something new. Think of the most successful person you know. Do you think they haven’t experienced fear of failure? Sure they have. And I’m sure they would tell you that. Everyone has experienced fear of failure, the fear of looking like a fool, the fear of losing friends when you become too famous, too wealthy, too thin, or too whatever. When a moment of panic comes over you, imagine your role model and remember that they too have experienced fear. But they moved through it anyway.

Take the first small step

We’ve all heard of Newton’s 1st Law of Motion: A body at rest tends to stay at rest, while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. When you notice that feeling of fear arising, consciously make the decision to take that first small step in spite of the fear. You will feel amazing after you have done that one little thing. The success of even a small accomplishment will give you the confidence to take the next step. You will realize that you can do it, and you’ll be excited to keep the momentum going. Fear will be replaced by enthusiasm!

Use a lifeline

Sometimes we recognize fear for what it is but can’t seem to get over the hurdle anyway. That’s the right time to call in some reinforcements. Reach out to a friend, colleague or family member who is totally on board with your goal. Buy them a cup of coffee and talk to them about your feelings. Use them as a sounding board, ask for their advice or just come out and ask for a pep talk! Choose to do this with a person who loves you and has faith that you can achieve your goal. That way you don’t need to worry about being embarrassed to tell them that fear has you in a paralyzing grip! They will support you through each step you take. Sometimes all we need to hear is a person we love and admire tell us it will be all right.

One final thing to consider:

Give thought to hiring a coach. A Life or Business Coach can help you identify the fear that may be temporarily paralyzing you. They can remind you of others who faced their fears head-on and became widely successful as a result. Your coach can help you identify that first small step, along with the subsequent ones that will enable to realize your goal. And, a coach can be that lifeline you can turn to whenever you need to lean on someone for support.

What Would You Give to Have More Time in Your Day?

Posted on by Chris Mahan

I can’t give you more than the 604,800 seconds that everyone has in their week, but I can show you a simple way to be more productive with those allotted seconds.

Our modern world recognizes being busy as being important. It seems the more running around you do, the more urgent tasks you have, the more respected you are. Think about it – have you ever talked about how busy you are when someone asked you how you were? Probably. We all do it.

But being busy doesn’t mean we are being effective at making the changes we want in our lives. In fact, it may mean the opposite – that we are wasting time on tasks that really aren’t that important. That leaves us drained of energy and wondering what it’s all for.

The Pareto Principle, maybe better known as the 80/20 principle, is a way to use your time effectively so you get more done and are working on the right activities. In a nutshell, the principle says that approximately 20% of your effort yields 80% of your results. Likewise, the reverse is also true. There are tasks that take 80% effort, yet only yield 20% of your results. The goal, obviously, is to determine which tasks are which.

The easiest and fastest way to achieve your outcomes and reach your potential is to streamline your action items. Some tasks that don’t make the cut (don’t yield 80%) can be ignored as unimportant, while others may still need doing, but not necessarily by you. Those 20% yield tasks that still need to be completed can be outsourced so you are free to complete the creative tasks you are best at.

Here’s how to see if an item is a 20% or an 80% job:

  • Keep a list of outcomes handy so you can review it throughout each day.
  • Write down each task that you need to complete for the day.
  • Now, go through each item and compare it to your outcomes. Does it align? From past experience, how much effort did the item take? And what was the benefit? Is it worth it?
  • If it is, but you don’t need to do it, hand it off to someone else.
  • If it’s not, mark a line through it and move on to the next item on the list.
  • Use a simple tracking system to measure the results vs. the effort on each task or technique you use. This will help you determine if something is a 20% or 80% undertaking later.

The point of this exercise is to keep firmly in your mind that not all activities yield the same benefits. And that it’s not necessary to implement every idea that you come across. Choose only those that align with your goals and will offer the most reward.

Of course, you can take a shortcut to increasing your revenue and profits by engaging in what I’ve determined to be 5 areas that comprise the 20% of efforts in your business that lead to 80% of your profit. Visit my website and scroll down to the section, “Free Training for Business Owners.” Watch the 25 minute training video for an overview of an approach that will give you insight as to how you can increase your revenue and profits in as little as 90 days. As an added bonus, I’ll also send you a short email training series to provide even more insight into the process.