Fear is a survival instinct – it tells your brain to remain alert, your body to run from danger, but it can also make you feel stuck and unable to move forward. Believe it or not – fear could be the very thing keeping you from doing something new.
The question is – are you someone who fears failure or success?
Making career and lifestyle changes is difficult. Results are not immediate or even guaranteed. You must simply put yourself out there and risk hearing “no thanks” or “we’re going to go with someone else.” Facing this type of rejection month after month eventually takes its toll. Your energy fades and you may find that even though you desperately want a new job, you stop sending resumes and pursuing opportunities simply to avoid another let-down.So, if you’re losing steam in your job search efforts, here are seven (7) great sayings to give you a much-needed boost to keep working towards your end goal.
1. Big breaks and career reinventions are difficult in any industry. Truth is, it’s easier for you to find a new job, advance in your current field or even switch careers/industries - than it is for an actor, musician, or entertainer to make it big in the field of entertainment.
2. Mean people suck: Although it’s hard to hear, we all need and should welcome constructive criticism and feedback. However, you should ignore people who do and say mean things and never internalize words that are unkind.
3. Write your mistakes in sand and your successes in stone: Everyone makes mistakes and experiences set-backs. The trick is to focus on the “wins” no matter how small.
4. Find what is wrong within yourself and then find the courage to change it: Believe it or not, this pearl of wisdom came from the late king of Playboy, Hugh Hefner. This is easier to do than you might think. Simply focus on one professional skill that you can improve or enhance – and improve it.
5. If you’ve accomplished something great before, you can and will do so again: Success is a learned behavior. The more you succeed the more you learn how to succeed. “Failure” doesn’t feel good for a reason – it’s not something that you should want to repeat. When things don’t work out as planned – learn the lesson the first time. And, remind yourself that some things take longer than we would like, but happen eventually.
6. Don’t take “no” personally: Just because someone chooses NOT to hire you, doesn’t mean that they haven’t made a mistake. Remember, even Michael Jordan was once told he wasn’t good enough – and cut from the team. So the next time you hear “no” take it for what it is – someone else’s mistake.
7. Courage is moving forward despite being afraid: Everyone is afraid of something. Life and career require us to move forward anyway. You have to take risks and do things you’ve never done before to get new things you’ve never had. Never forget that fear doesn’t mean STOP – but rather be aware, and that you might be on to something good.
Fear is a great motivator to help propel you to reach your goals. This week, use fear to inspire you to remain focused on what you believe in and what you hope to one day accomplish.