Overcome 4 Common Fears Holding You Back in Your Career

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.

Fears holding you back

“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.

Fears holding you back in your career

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. Fear of not being good enough

Fear you're not 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.

Overcome fears holding you back
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.fears holding you back from career fulfillment

 

Why Is Working in Short Bursts So Powerful?

If you’ve tried working in short bursts, you are likely surprised at all you accomplished. And in a cluster of short periods of work. And this isn’t by mistake.  There are many reasons the human mind works better in short bursts than spending all day on one project.

working in short bursts is powerful

Short Term Goals

In goal setting, break up your largest goals into smaller pieces.  You’re more likely to stay motivated, on track, and focused.  This is because you have clear stepping stones to your goal. Breaking down your day of work functions in this same way.  You break your work into shorter goals making it easier for you to stay motivated and complete the work.

It Increases Problem Solving

When the human mind comes across a problem, it can easily become overstressed if it takes too much time focusing on the issue. And when  you overstress your mind, you’re unlikely to problem-solve effectively. When you break work into shorter bursts and take frequent breaks, this keeps your mind from getting overstressed. That really keeps you on the top of your problem-solving game!

It Mirrors The Attention Span

Although you’re an adult, you still have a maximum attention span, and at the end of this period, your mind will likely begin to wander.

So why fight human nature by scheduling yourself to work for long periods when your mind is bound to wander?

Exactly…

Why working in short bursts is powerful is it really improves performance. This productivity method works because 25 minutes is directly in line with the average adult human attention span.  This  method works with your nature of focus instead of against it.

It’s Easier To Resist Tempting Distractions

Distractions often draw workers away from their activities. Several distractions such as talking to coworkers, speaking on the phone, or a food break are particularly invasive.  You more easily resist the temptation of distractions distracted when you divide your work into smaller pieces .  That is effective because you know you will be free in a few minutes.  And it makes no sense to interrupt your workflow now.

When you don’t have a specified work time and know you have a full day that ends at a certain hour, you have no reason to avoid distractions.

Summing Up

Working in short bursts is powerful. Unlike other work methods, it works with human nature, rather than against it.  It holds your attention, keeping you motivated. You stop distractions in their tracks.