It may sound contradictory to think of someone having a fear of success and having a phobia about that, but it happens more often than you might think. For whatever reasons, many of us are wired to fear our own success. The phobia may be that achieving that success brings us out of our comfort zone or simply puts us into a situation we’re unfamiliar with. Whatever the reason, letting fear sabotage your plans can be detrimental to you personally as well as your business success.

Here are a few tips to help you overcome the fear of success phobia once and for all:

#1 – Be a “big picture” person. Many entrepreneurs feel paralyzed with fear once they look at all the minute details of a business venture. Some of the most successful business owners of our time have done the exact opposite to avoid this feeling. Instead of concentrating on minute details, they concentrate on the big picture. They know that the small details can be taken care off later.

No one expects you to be familiar with every aspect of business, and there are many tasks that can be outsourced. You can also ask for help and advice when the time comes to complete each task.

To avoid not acting on your ideas, ignore the small details and become a “big picture” person instead.

#2 – Give yourself a break. We all have times when we’re scared or feel a little vulnerable. It’s important not to let these emotions get the better of you. Simply see them for what they are – a temporary feeling. Like most things, this too will pass. Tell yourself that you may be a little fearful of a certain task or phase in your business but that it can be overcome.

Being kind to yourself. Concentrating on your successes and good points is the starting point to getting rid of fear.

#3 – Ask yourself – what’s the worst thing that can happen? This simple question can help you overcome the fear of many scenarios. In the big scheme of things, what is actually the worst thing that could happen if you ventured into the unknown?

Often times we realize that things aren’t that bad and our minds have a way of dramatizing certain events. Stop yourself from falling into this trap by facing your worst-case scenario head on.

The fear of success is a real issue for many entrepreneurs, and sometimes those thoughts and feelings are etched deep into our belief system. But with a little time, perseverance and action you can learn to enjoy your success and relish all those moments when something good comes out of your hard work and dedication.

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Seeing is believing, or so goes the old saying. It is something that we are taught by our parents, by society in the Occidental hemisphere, and it is something we know by experience.

How many times have you said “I can’t believe in something that I can’t see”? Most of the time this refers to something other than religious beliefs. It might be related to events that we experience every day, at work, at school, at home, with our friends, neighbors, in our city.

But it rarely applies to our selves. We believe in whatever we do, what we say is our word, there is no question from “me” to “I”, unless whatever is said or done is a mistake.

More often than not, we find ourselves asking: “How could I’ve done that?” “Why did I do that?” … These questions are followed by regret. We repeat it over and over in our minds, as some kind of self punishment. Why do we do that? Simple: we have problems believing in ourselves!

There is a huge industry dedicated to self-help, to introduce the regular person to the secrets of successful people. If you look into every guide, into every affirmation, into every self-help book, there is one common thing that is repeated as a mantra: Believe in your self.

Basically, you have the power to enjoy your life, to change what you don’t like, to make lemonade when life throws you lemons. But you also have the power to give up, to take the easy road, to betray your beliefs, your ethics, your self.

If you have the power to wake up every day, and give yourself the chance to be a better person, to enjoy better your day, to help others, to love more, why not use it? Don’t wait to see something to believe in it. First believe, in you, in your power, in your abilities. Then, everything that you want to achieve, as hard as it can be, could become a reality.

It is probably the easiest thing to do, and yet the most difficult to keep it up, but it is the key to success: first believe in yourself, and then you’ll see the results.

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Silencing Your Inner Critic

Are you afraid of trying new things? Do you stick to boring and safe endeavors because you don’t want to risk failing? Do you let opportunities pass you by? If so, you probably have an over-developed inner critic.

The inner critic is the little voice inside of us that constantly evaluates our performance and gives us feedback. Sometimes the information it provides is helpful. All too often, though, the inner critic is as mean as Simon Cowell in a snotty mood. “Why bother to try? You know you can’t do it.” “You’re stupid.” “You’ll never succeed.”

When criticism turns into soul assassination, as in the examples above, it’s time to put a gag on it.

In order to contain your inner critic, you must first become aware of its influence. Keep a journal for a week or two. Record any significant events that happened and what your thoughts were as you dealt with them. For instance, “Boss asked me to take on a new project—massive anxiety—I can’t do this!” “Sent in the mortgage check a day late—I’m so stupid about money.” Pay attention to any negative refrains that keep coming up. What are your inner critic’s favorite words of attack?

Next, formulate a response to your inner critic. If your inner critic frequently calls you stupid, for instance, your response might be, “I am intelligent and capable of handling challenges as they arise.” If your inner critic calls you a failure, you might respond, “I am skilled and successful.”

Now comes the difficult part. As you go through your days, listen closely for the voice of your inner critic. As soon as it starts its vicious attack, cut if off. This is called thought stopping. Make a conscious effort to say or think the word, “Stop!” Then replace the criticism with the positive response you have formulated.

Most people have trouble with this step. The positive thoughts may feel artificial or difficult to believe. This is because listening to your inner critic has become a habit. By challenging the old, familiar thoughts, you’re stepping out of your comfort zone. Be proud of yourself. It takes courage to make such an effort.

Experts agree it takes about 21 days to form a new habit. That’s less than a month, though while you’re struggling to make the change, it may feel like a lifetime. Slowly, though, you will notice a difference. More and more often, your first response to a situation will be positive rather than negative. Eventually, your inner critic’s voice will fall silent, replaced by more nurturing and encouraging messages.

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Unleash Your Creativity

So how do you unleash your creative thinking? Well, the first thing is to become a human leech. No, we’re not talking about just sucking the blood out of every living being available, we’re saying that you should take in as much knowledge and learning you can find. Read everything available — good and bad, and keep your mind open to the infinite possibilities of the universe. The more you know, the more you’ll want to know, and the more your faculty of wonder will be exercised. Prepare to be amazed at little facts that add a bit of color into your life. 

Focus on a creative activity everyday. Yes, it’s an effort. Even doodling is a creative activity. Don’t let anything hinder you. Mindlessness may be a creative activity, but for people who are just starting out to unleash a little bit of creative thinking in their lives, it is helpful and encouraging to have concrete evidence, that, “hey, what I’m doing is getting somewhere.” So why don’t you try it. Practice drawing for a couple of minutes each day. Bring out your old camera and start snapping photos like crazy. Keep a journal and make a point to write in it religiously. Another cool idea is to write by describing something with your five senses. Try to avoid vague adjectives like “marvelous,” “amazing,” and “delicious.” Before you know it, you’ll have built yourself a tiny portfolio, and you’ll be amazed at the growth you’ve undertaken after amassing all those works of art. Who knows, you might actually take to liking those things you do everyday. Pretty soon those things will become a part of you and you’ll be addicted to these creative exercises.

Think out of the box — or don’t. Sometimes, constraints are actually a good thing. Limitations discipline you to work within your means. It enables you to be more resourceful. Creative freedom is great, but limitations enforce discipline.

Try something new everyday and let your experiences broaden your perspective. Explore a new district in your neighborhood. Spend an afternoon in a museum to which you’ve never been before. Chat up someone on the bus. Open up to the people around you. As you thrust yourself out of your comfort zone more and more each day, your sense of adventure grows and so does your zest for life. Think about it. When was the last time you did something for the first time? If it’s been a while, I tell you, you’ve been missing out on a whole lot of experiences that could’ve added to your growth, emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually. Why don’t you try bungee jumping today? Not only will you learn, but you will also have plenty of stories to share, enabling you to practice your storytelling skills and making you the life of the party.

Embrace insanity. No, not to the point of practically admitting yourself into the mental ward. As John Russell once said, “Sanity calms, but madness is more interesting.” Exactly! Every creative thought was once deemed insanity by other “normal” people at one time or another. Luckily, that didn’t stop the creative geniuses from standing by them. The thing is, sanity or being normal confines people to think… well, normally. Withink limits. Creativity is essentially breaking through barriers. Yes, this includes the bizzarre and the downright strange. I’m not saying that you yourself should develop a creative personality. That might go haywire. An example of a creative personality would be George Washington, who often rode into battle naked, or James Joyce, who wrote “Dubliners” with beetle juice for an intense fear of ink, or Albert Einstein, who thought his cat was a spy sent by his rival (or in thinking creatively in this case, the term could probably be “archnemesis.”) It’s important that your creativity doesn’t get you detached from the real world completely.

I hope this article has inspired you to start thinking beyond your “limits.” If you follow these steps pretty soon you’ll be living a life full of interesting adventures. Unleashing your creative thinking  will bring about a new zest for living life.

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Everyone, at some point of his or her life, has dreamed of being somebody special, somebody big. Who hasn’t fantasized about being the one who hits the game-winning homer? Who hasn’t dreamed of being the homecoming queen? And how many times have we dreamed of being rich, or successful, or happy with our relationships?

Often, we dream big dreams and have great aspirations. Unfortunately, our dreams remain just that – dreams. And our aspirations easily collect dust in our attic.

This is a sad turn of events in our life. Instead of experiencing exciting adventures in self actualization, we get caught up in the humdrum of living from day-to-day just barely existing.

But you know what? Life could be so much better, if only we learned to aim higher.

The most common problem to setting goals is the word impossible. Most people get hung up thinking I can’t do this. It’s too hard. It’s too impossible. No one can do this.

However, if everyone thought that, there would be no inventions, no innovations, and no breakthroughs in human accomplishment.

Remember that scientists were baffled when they took a look at the humble bumblebee. Theoretically, they said, it was impossible for the bumblebee to fly. Unfortunately for the bumble, bee no one has told it so. So fly it does.

On the other hand, some people suffer from dreaming totally outrageous dreams and not acting on them. The result? Broken dreams, and tattered aspirations.

If you limit yourself with self-doubt, and self-limiting assumptions, you will never be able to break past what you deem impossible. If you reach too far out into the sky without working towards your goal, you will find yourself clinging on to the impossible dream.

Try this exercise. Take a piece of paper and write down some goals in your life. Under one header, list down things ‘you know you can do’. Under another header, write the things ‘you might be able to do.’ And under one more, list the things that that are ‘impossible for you to do.’

Now look at all the headers strive every day to accomplish the goals that are under things ‘you know you can do’. Check them when you are able to accomplish them. As you slowly are able to check all of your goals under that heading, try accomplishing the goals under the other header-the one that reads ‘you might be able to do.’

As of the items you wrote under things I could do are accomplished, you can move the goals that are under things that are ‘impossible for you to do’ to the list of things ‘you might be able to do.’

As you iterate through this process, you will find out that the goals you thought were impossible become easier to accomplish. And the impossible begin to seem possible after all.

You see, the technique here is not to limit your imagination. It is to aim high, and start working towards that goal little by little. However, it also is unwise to set a goal that is truly unrealistic.

Those who just dream towards a goal without working hard end up disappointed and disillusioned.

On the other hand, if you told someone a hundred years ago that it was possible for man to be on the moon, they would laugh at you. If you had told them that you could send mail from here to the other side of the world in a few seconds, they would say you were out of your mind. But, through sheer desire and perseverance, these impossible dreams are now realities.

Thomas Edison once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Nothing could be truer. For one to accomplish his or her dreams, there has to be had work and discipline. But take note that that 1% has to be a think-big dream, and not some easily accomplished one.

Ask any gym rat and he or she will tell you that there can be no gains unless you are put out of your comfort zone. Remember the saying, “No pain, no gain”? That is as true as it can be.

So dream on, friend! Don’t get caught up with your perceived limitations. Think big and work hard to attain those dreams. As you step up the ladder of progress, you will just about find out that the impossible has just become a little bit more possible.

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At first glance, it would seem that positive thinking and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) have nothing to do with one another. But many of us with ADD develop negative thinking patterns because we become frustrated by our challenges and frequent feelings of being overwhelmed. This negative outlook then makes it even harder for us to manage those challenges and move forward.

Practicing positive thinking allows people with ADD to focus on our strengths and accomplishments, which increases happiness and motivation. This, in turn, allows us to spend more time making progress, and less time feeling down and stuck. The following tips provide practical suggestions that you can use to help you shift into more positive thinking patterns:

1. Take Good Care of Yourself
It’s much easier to be positive when you are eating well, exercising, and getting enough rest.

2. Remind Yourself of the Things You Are Grateful For
Stresses and challenges don’t seem quite as bad when you are constantly reminding yourself of the things that are right in life. Taking just 60 seconds a day to stop and appreciate the good things will make a huge difference.

3. Look for the Proof Instead of Making Assumptions
A fear of not being liked or accepted sometimes leads us to assume that we know what others are thinking, but our fears are usually not reality. If you have a fear that a friend or family member’s bad mood is due to something you did, or that your co-workers are secretly gossiping about you when you turn your back, speak up and ask them. Don’t waste time worrying that you did something wrong unless you have proof that there is something to worry about.

4. Refrain from Using Absolutes
Have you ever told a partner “You’re ALWAYS late!” or complained to a friend “You NEVER call me!”? Thinking and speaking in absolutes like ‘always’ and ‘never’ makes the situation seem worse than it is, and programs your brain into believing that certain people are incapable of delivering.

5. Detach From Negative Thoughts
Your thoughts can’t hold any power over you if you don’t judge them. If you notice yourself having a negative thought, detach from it, witness it, and don’t follow it.

6. Squash the “ANTs”
In his book “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life,” Dr. Daniel Amen talks about “ANTs” – Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are the bad thoughts that are usually reactionary, like “Those people are laughing, they must be talking about me,” or “The boss wants to see me? It must be bad!” When you notice these thoughts, realize that they are nothing more than ANTs and squash them!

7. Practice Lovin’, Touchin’ & Squeezin’ (Your Friends and Family)
You don’t have to be an expert to know the benefits of a good hug. Positive physical contact with friends, loved ones, and even pets, is an instant pick-me-up. One research study on this subject had a waitress touch some of her customers on the arm as she handed them their checks. She received higher tips from these customers than from the ones she didn’t touch!

8. Increase Your Social Activity
By increasing social activity, you decrease loneliness. Surround yourself with healthy, happy people, and their positive energy will affect you in a positive way!

9. Volunteer for an Organization, or Help another Person
Everyone feels good after helping. You can volunteer your time, your money, or your resources. The more positive energy you put out into the world, the more you will receive in return.

10. Use Pattern Interrupts to Combat Rumination
If you find yourself ruminating, a great way to stop it is to interrupt the pattern and force yourself to do something completely different. Rumination is like hyper-focus on something negative. It’s never productive, because it’s not rational or solution-oriented, it’s just excessive worry. Try changing your physical environment – go for a walk or sit outside. You could also call a friend, pick up a book, or turn on some music.

When it comes to the corporate world, protocol is pretty much the religion. To know the things needed to do are the basics of productivity, but interaction and having a steady mind makes up the entire thing to true productivity. There are those who seem to work well even under pressure, but they’re uncommon ones and we are human and imperfect. To get these little things like stress under our skins won’t solve our problems. Sometimes it takes a bit of courage to admit that we’re turning to be workaholics than tell ourselves that we’re not doing our best.

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There’s a condition that holds a lot of people back from progressing towards their goals. I’ve been guilty of suffering from this condition on some occasions, and maybe you have too.

It’s been called ‘analysis paralysis’, and is a form of perfectionism. Here’s how it looks: you have an idea. It could be a project that would generate extra income if you pulled it off. It makes sense. It sounds feasible. Heck, it even sounds easy and straightforward.

But days pass, weeks pass, months pass and you still haven’t taken the first step towards making that project a reality. Rather, you’re still thinking about how you’re going to solve every problem before you get started. You’re analyzing the idea to death, literally.

You want it to be perfect before you launch.

As a result, you never launch. All you have is an idea. Possibly a very good one at that.

While you’re dilly-dallying, someone else comes along with the same idea, launches the project with faults here and there and starts making a lot of money with it (as a result of the benefit it’s bringing to lots of people). You then feel like kicking yourself, thinking ‘if only I’d acted when I had the idea, I would be the one enjoying all this success…’

~*~SIDEBAR~*~ If this has ever happened to you, you may be interested to know how come someone else got the same idea and ran with it. You see, thoughts and ideas are all around us. They are living vibrant things, each seeking a vessel of expression. When a thought finds its way into your consciousness, you have the power and right to decide what to do with it. This has many consequences and implications, but for the context of this article we’ll stick to one.

If the idea in question is, for example, an idea for a book that you could write, and you sit on the idea, analyzing it from every possible angle, that thought is not going to stay waiting for you to wake up and put it into expression. It will, having left its seed in your consciousness, leave and seek a more willing and proactive vessel. It continues travelling through the ‘ether’ in this way until it lands in the consciousness of someone who starts writing that book the day the idea arrives in his mind.

~*~END OF SIDEBAR~*~

Of course it’s not perfect when you get started, but get started all the same. In doing so, you send out a message to God that you beleive this project will end the way it was intended when the idea was planted in your mind. This act of faith gets rewarded, as long as you persist in acting on the idea.

What idea(s) are you sitting on? Are you concerned about what others may think of your idea? Are you worried that you might look clumsy or silly? Are you scared that you might fail?

What others think is not a valid reason not to take action now. Your looking clumsy or silly is not a valid reason not to take action now. Fear of failure is not a valid reason not to take action. Truth be told, you’ve got no valid reason not to act on your idea right now.

Can you imagine if a baby, once he got the idea that he ought to start walking, got so bothered by the fact that he hadn’t perfected the skill yet that he refused to take the first step?

That sounds ludicrous doesn’t it?

Yet that’s what many of us do sometimes.

My challenge to you today is what Nike exhorts you to do: ‘Just do it!’ Take one little baby step towards it. Focus on that one step for now. You can think about the next baby step once it’s time to take it.

The way I see it is this: if you’re going to ‘fail’ at the project, get that part of the process over and done with in a hurry, so that you can get onto the next part.

Be like the baby learning to walk. Know that no matter what project you undertake, you’ll make mistakes along the way. Each mistake is a learning process, not a failure to discourage you. Expect and embrace these experiences when they happen. Learn from them and move on.

Don’t let that idea be taken from you and given to someone else who’s proactive with their life.

Be bold. Take action today.

Aricle by Dr Kem Thompson
Dr Kem Thompson is a Success Coach and Trainer who can help you you achieve breakthroughs in your finances, health and relationships. Get FREE gifts when you sign up for FREE ezines: ‘Days of Success’ – http://www.successeminars.com ‘Weekly Success Tips For Women’ – http://www.success-seminars.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr_Kem_Thompson

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Many of us, whether we know it or not, live within a prison of our own making. This prison has no metal bars, nor can its walls be seen by the naked eye; however, it is every bit as effective in keeping us from our freedom as a real prison cell. It’s called our comfort zone

Comfort zones can take on a variety of different forms, from the area in which you live and the circle of people with whom you socialise, to the amount of money you earn.

The primary force that keeps you living within your zone is your fear-based belief about what will happen if you move outside it.

Regardless of how ridiculous or unrealistic that belief may be, you will accept it as truth depending on the level of certainty you feel.

Your comfort zone is not really comfortable at all, but is really a virtual prison that keeps you from evolving and growing as a human being.

The bars to that prison are your fears about what may possibly happen if you move beyond them. The key to your freedom therefore lies in the removal of the underlying beliefs that cause those fears to exist.

Just for a moment think about a goal or dream you have that seems somehow out of reach. Now check to see if achieving it requires that you move out of your comfort zone and into unfamiliar territory.

It could be a dream job, a new relationship, starting your own business, losing weight, or living in a totally different part of the world.

As you do this little exercise notice how a subtle feeling of fear or nervousness begins to emerge in your chest or stomach area.

This is your unconscious mind springing into action with the intention of dissuading you from doing anything it perceives may put you in danger.

Most of the time you won’t notice the constant influence your comfort zone plays in your life, and you might find yourself placing the blame for your lack of progress towards your goals on laziness or procrastination.

However, if you stop and consider just for a moment why you can’t seem to get that item crossed off your to-do list, make that phone call, or fill out that application, you will begin to realise the true cause: What you want to do is outside your comfort zone.

It is your beliefs that direct your mind to do this; therefore, in order to break through your self-imposed limitations and achieve the success you desire, you will need to remove them.

- By T.D.McKenzie, Author of The McKenzie Mastery Process
Copyright © 2004 T.D. McKenzie. All rights reserved.

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If you have ever wondered what kinds of beliefs you have stored away in your unconscious that silently influence your choices, take a good look at your life, including your friends, your loved ones, your job, and even your health.

The life you currently live is a reflection of your beliefs about what you are willing to accept and tolerate. This is the vital difference that separates people who live abundant happy lives from those who don’t.

For instance, people who continue to stay in abusive relationships, work at jobs they don’t enjoy, or struggle financially, do so as a result of the beliefs they hold.

Yet there are individuals in society who will never ever accept being unjustly treated, living just above the poverty line, or working in professions that do not make full use of their gifts.

These individuals are those who stand out in the crowd: the entrepreneurs, pioneers, and leaders who refuse to allow the opinions of others to dictate how they live their lives.

They do this not because they are better or more gifted than everyone else, but simply because their beliefs do not allow them to do otherwise.

It is important to remember that we all play an active role in the creation of our belief systems, even if this occurs when we are vulnerable to the influence of others.
Once these beliefs are impressed on our unconscious mind, they become the rulebook that controls the direction of our lives.

All your successes and failures, then, are in some way influenced by this unconscious set of rules you have written. Whatever it is you wish to achieve, whether it be a skill you’re attempting to master, a subject you wish to learn or an illness you are struggling to overcome, your success will be determined by a single factor: the unconscious beliefs that make up your book of rules.

Much of the struggle you experience in life relates to the inner turmoil you feel when you make a new choice that conflicts with the set of rules you have created about life and simply forgotten.

To end this struggle and become the master of your own destiny, you must therefore master the unconscious beliefs that control you. In future articles on Becomng, we’ll be touching on ways we can determine exactly what these beliefs are for each of us, as well as how to overcome them.

- By T.D.McKenzie, Author of The McKenzie Mastery Process
Copyright © 2004 T.D. McKenzie. All rights reserved.

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