Fear : Replacing Consequences With Possibilities

Have you ever put off doing something because you really didn't know how it would work out - you didn't know what would happen, but you were concerned that it wouldn't be pretty - or easy - or safe - or career enhancing? Welcome to the club - we all have done that - once in a while. That behavior becomes a problem when the thing being put off is critically important to you. It might be a relationship, it might be financial, it might be health, it might be education, or so many other things.

When we fear an outcome, regardless what it might be, it becomes hard to act. When we fear an outcome, we can find a hundred other things to do to fill up the time we should have spent on the rapidly growing gorilla in the closet. Funny thing - that gorilla does not go away - it just gets bigger and bigger - and meaner and meaner - and more and more difficult to deal with - in our minds. Have you ever finally just stood up to whatever has been holding you back - done it - usually because the cost of continuing to worry about it became higher that just doing it and dealing with the consequences -- and then had to say to yourself "That wasn't too bad - why did I wait so long?" If you resolve to not let it happen again, and it does, you have got the procrastination blues - a state of mind filled with guilt, fear, frustration, regret. A funny thing about most fear. I don't mean the kind caused by a direct physical threat, or natural disasters. I'm talking about the kind of fear that has 100% ownership in your own mind - nowhere else. The kind of fear that, once confronted with action, goes away, leaving you wondering why you waited so long to act. Fear of outcomes is a major cause of procrastination - and since most of it is in our minds, we can't really share it with others. All they see is a failure to act - to accomplish - to keep commitments - to get results.

So how to overcome this fear - this inability to act in a timely manner because of fear of the consequences of your actions?

Realize that fear caused by consequence thinking is a habit of thought that you can overcome. Replace that habit with the habit of looking at positive possibilities. What are the good things that can happen if I act now? What can I gain if I act now? How much better will my life be by acting now? What rewards will I get for acting now? How many people will I influence with my speeches? How much better will I feel about myself if I just do it? The positive possibilities push out the negative consequences. Fear is still there - it's as normal as breathing and eating, but the possibilities of gain help you overcome it. Replace thinking about the worst thing that could happen with thinking about the very best thing that could happen.

Breaking a habit of thought isn't easy - it's done in small victories a day and an action at a time. But it will create the climate in your mind for action leading to success. If you think in consequences and are having trouble acting on the important things, take just one important things, apply the possible good things that can come from acting, and then ask yourself this question - "What am I waiting for?" Do that now - start right now.