Here are five of the most common types of fear and how to turn each one into a superpower :
1 . Fear of uncertainty
If there ’ s one thing the pandemic has taught us , it ’ s that we never know what ’ s around the corner . We are more comfortable with certainty , so it ’ s natural to want to know the outcome if you take a new job or switch careers . Reassure yourself that uncertainty is worth the risk by focusing on goals , not feelings . Acknowledge that your future was uncertain when you started your current job and it all worked out . Uncertainty can be a bridge to new possibilities .
2 . Fear of failure
If you redefine what failure is , you ’ ll start to look at it differently and crush the power it has over you . Failure means you ’ re trying . It allows you to learn and pivot . And despite its bad rap , it actually helps build confidence . Start turning fear of failure into a superpower by answering the question , “ What would happen if I fail ?” By thinking about — and even writing out — what could go wrong and walking yourself through various scenarios , you ’ ll limit its power . Also , make sure you ’ re spending time answering the question , “ What could go right ?” Fear turns into excitement when you allow yourself to envision positive outcomes .
3 . Fear of what others think
Your dreams are yours . To paraphrase a famous Steve Jobs quote , if you worry about being judged every time you make a move , you will have successfully lived a life for other people . I don ’ t know about you , but living a life for yourself sounds a lot more fun . When people offer opinions , they are often projecting their own fears , insecurities or experiences . Practice having confidence in your own dreams by not soliciting others ’ opinions . Most of the time you won ’ t hear what they say behind your back ; and if you do , they aren ’ t your people anyway ! There will be plenty of Robins to your Batman .
4 . Imposter syndrome
This nasty phenomenon shows up in a lot of ways , especially in the careers of highachieving men and women . It ’ s loosely defined as doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud . It can manifest as selfdoubt , overachieving , sabotaging your own success , being hard on yourself or attributing your success to luck . If you feel like an imposter , you ’ ve probably reached a certain level of success and have an opportunity to do something really cool and beyond your usual scope ! Take the time to realistically assess your abilities and accomplishments . Chances are you ’ re not giving yourself enough credit for your efforts and achievements .
5 . Fear of not being perfect
Failure is like kryptonite to perfectionists . Start by practicing realistic goal setting and breaking goals into manageable steps . Once you start executing , work on being comfortable with small failures you may experience . Give yourself compassion and reassurance that you ’ re doing your best , as well as time limits so you don ’ t get stuck in the perfectionist loop of your efforts and output never being good enough . Moving past perfectionism is a constant practice . If you do the inner work above and strengthen your ability to see fear for what it really is — a mechanism to warn you of immediate physical danger — you ’ ll be on the path of being the superhero of your own career story .
Allison Moore is a career and life coach helping women pursue their biggest goals and dreams . She offers one-on-one coaching and her signature group program Clear & Confident . Read more at allisonmoore . com . On Instagram @ allimmoore .
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