Don’t let your fears control your actions

January is almost over and if you’re like most people, your initial progress on your New Year’s resolutions is starting to slow. You want to have the courage to keep moving toward your goals and dreams, but gravity has started to take over. The people you shared your dreams with, who were so excited for you a month ago, are back to their day to day routines and priorities have shifted back to their own needs and challenges.   How do you reconnect to your passions?

As serving leaders, we have many goals we want to achieve to help our communities and help the people we work with on a regular basis. When my energy is waning or I’m not making enough progress, I take some quiet time to think and read something inspirational. This weekend was no different. I found a book I’d like to share with you in hopes that it can reignite your passion and get you moving forward. The book I chose this week is called “Courage and Fear,” written by Wesley L. Fox, a Medal of Honor recipient and Marine. He was an active Marine for 43 years before he sat down to share his observations. He reminds me of many of the men I grew up with including my father and uncles who served.

The book talks about his career and what he learned along the way. If you’re a student of history, he gives you a front row seat to the wars we fought In Korea and Vietnam. He’s a humble and courageous leader, and his ideas and thoughts are well worth reading if you hope to serve others and grow yourself. The book is filled with many great ideas, but the one I found most helpful was his approach to dealing with fear. Col. Fox shares his secret to help you overcome fear in all aspects of your life.  Let’s see if he can help you get back on track towards achieving your goals in life.  It’s clear that this man has courage and understood fear.  The critical question is, can he help inspire you on a cold winter day?

I share several of his ideas with my own understanding of them to help you get moving forward again.

The first step to overcoming fear is taking action. Fear hides in the shadows while we’re planning. If you take action, you’re on your way to success. Don’t let overthinking a situation keep you from doing what you fear.

The second step to overcoming fear is making sure that you are qualified and prepared for your next steps. It’s important that you prepare for success. If you want to overcome fear, it’s easier when you know you’ve done everything you can before taking action.

The third step to overcoming fear is believing in your cause or action. Many people fail because they really don’t believe in what they are doing. You have only one life, don’t waste it on things that don’t matter to you and your family.

The fourth step to overcoming fear is understanding who’s on your team. In today’s complicated times, it requires a team to help you achieve many of your goals. Successful serving leaders invest their time by understanding who’s on their team and their capabilities. Invest time in knowing everyone on your team. If you’re not certain that they are ready, be prepared to help them get better.

The fifth step to overcoming fear is having confidence that you and your team can achieve your goals. If you’re clear in what you want to achieve, you’re 95% there. Help your team members know that you believe in them. You must help them see the benefits when you all overcome fear.

The sixth step to overcoming fear is having pride in you and your team.  Much of today’s culture tells us there is nothing wrong with failing. Everyone should get an award for trying.  I feel there is nothing wrong with wanting to achieve more with your life. Don’t be afraid to set bigger goals for your life and then strive for them.  Be willing to help your team members succeed, understand that today is just that, today, and your life is based not only on what you do, but also by who you become.

The final step to overcoming fear is understanding that you always get another chance to do better. Start at the beginning again. Build in a bias towards action and you succeed faster.  Learn to fail faster, improve, and then try again. We live in a fast paced world and no one can do things perfectly the first time.

Want to know more about taking charge of your life, you might enjoy Can Dion Shealey Help You Get More Out of  Your Life?

So, overcome the fears that are holding you back.  You may be surprised by how much you can achieve.  See you next time.