Fear: The #1 Thing Standing in Your Way of True Fulfilment
This article covers 4 common fears holding you back in your career and how to overcome them.
“Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.” Dorothy Thompson
Illustration of Fears Holding You Back
Imagine this: you are on vacation from work, sitting on the beach watching the sunset as waves lap the sand as you bask in the glow. A book lies in your lap as you lose yourself in thought of how wonderful you feel at this moment.
Now imagine what the reality is: You’re at work, dreaming of traveling to the beach, sitting on the sand watching the sun set. But instead of taking the steps to go, you feel fear. Suppose there’s a work emergency on the project you manage, your boss calls and orders you back, fearing you’re needed at your job by your workgroup or any of your other obligations? What if the plane crashes? Suppose you get lost? Oh my.what would happen if you let down your team? What if…?
Living with fears holding you back at work keeps you from taking the career risks and chances to go for what you truly desire. It keeps us from finding true fulfillment.
Fulfillment Defined Facing Fears Holding You Back
Satisfaction isn’t defined by the position you have; your salary; where you live; or the number of people you manage. True fulfillment is a feeling. It’s something you feel deep inside about yourself and believe yourself to be. But to find it you have to face the fears keeping you paralyzed.
When you have fears holding you back, you feel uncertain. Facing our fears and getting out of our comfort zone is hard because of how humans naturally expect the worst-case scenario. Our brains naturally send us negative information because it is trying to keep you safe.
So how can you live a career free of fears holding you back and be truly satisfied?
Everyone has fears. It’s normal. It’s how we react to them that makes the difference in how we feel. But you might find yourself weighed down with too much fear that’s preventing you from being truly content. If that’s the case, it’s time to get familiar with your fears and find ways to work through them.
Four Common Fears that Disrupt Your Career and Causes
Here are 4 common at-work fears holding you back and ideas to help you deal with them.
- Fear of failure
This is a common fear, often stemming from our childhood. For example, ,fear of failing a test,. This fear brings on the feeling of being judged or embarrassed. But in reality failing is part of success. Overcome this fear by not worrying about the outcome and only focusing on the process of getting to success.
- Fear of success
This fear stems from many different fears: fear of change, responsibilities, attention, vulnerable and many others. The best way to overcome this fear is to focus on one position at a time while moving forward in your career.
- Fear of rejection
The fear of being rejected is a reaction to our innate need for belonging. It can include fears of being judged, not being liked, or being alone. To overcome this fear put yourself out there, reminding yourself that the right supervisors or coworkers will respond to you favorably.
- Fear of not being good enough
This fear is rooted in how we feel about ourselves. Our low self-esteem keeps us from trying a new assignment. At the same time,it keeps us from accepting a promotion because we lack confidence. You can overcome this fear by starting small with one task you know you can carry out. Keep doing more difficult and especially complex assignments to build your self-confidence.
Conclusion
We all have fears of some kind. On the one hand they may seem rational to us, yet. they could appear irrational to others. To overcome your fears in the workplace, you need to understand why you have them and then practice facing them so you can live a career and life of true fulfilment.