Category: Lifestyle

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15 Steps to Building Your Online Tribe

Your Tribe is Your Vibe

Success on social media is all about your relationship with your followers.

You may have heard of the saying “Your tribe is your vibe.” But, what exactly is a tribe?

Social media is just like real life: you need friends and family to support you while you follow your dreams. You need to build that special trust that at first brings people to follow you and consider you their “go to” person. Consequently, when that trust cements itself, these same people will resonate so strongly with you that they will have your back, no matter what. They will support your message and share it on social media to a multitude of people. When this event happens, you have successfully created your tribe.

Building a tribe is something very dear to me, as I owe everything to my community. I built it by following two principles: coherence and the empowerment of others before myself. I post only when I feel I can enrich my followers and when I have a strong message. Herein lies a special type of power that the millennial generation knows better than anybody else, the true modern revolution: be everywhere with a click. That click carries a lot of responsibility. If you want to build a tribe, you must understand that who you are and what you stand for matters.

If you are ready for this adventure here are fifteen key points to build your tribe:

1. Learn from who you admire

Study successful profiles and get inspired by them. Get to know their minute details and intricacies inside and out for some inspiration and structure.

2. Speak from the heart

Find your own message: make sure it sounds clear and coherent. Before publishing, write down your posts in your platform’s backend or if you are old school in a journal. This way you can plan your week ahead and see what your social media page will look like.

3. Pick your platform thoughtfully

Understand what platform your message will resonate better with, and study their way of communication.

4. Be consistent

Your followers need to see that you are present. Repetition is key but always do so in a different and creative way.

5. Value the attention of your audience

Post when you have something relevant to say. Do not just post the first thought that pops into your head. Carefully consider what you want to say, always keeping in mind if others will be enriched by your words.

6. Be generous

As in the real world: when you give, life gives you back. Find your own tribe by looking for people who make you feel fulfilled. Always support them with likes, comments, shout-outs, retweets, and tags.

7. Be open about what you need

Do not be scared to ask for what you want. Social media is analogous to real life: people like true relationships. Do not be afraid of reaching out to your followers and try to create a friendly and genuine relationship. Once that bond is established, ask clearly and you shall receive.

8. Be nice

Remember that good manners always win. Create healthy boundaries of self-respect and respect for others.

9. Be easy to find

Hashtags are key to reaching more people and finding those whom you are more in sync with. Use them generously and take advantage of trends to reach more people.

10. Deliver what is genuinely you

Do not over-deliver. People like genuine content. If you keep on posting randomly, it might seem forced or automated.

11. Only quality matters

Quality is always better than quantity. You cannot expect people to engage with your posts if your pictures are blurry and your content is unclear and not well thought out. Improve yourself and your tribe will respond kindly.

12. Learn from your “enemies”

Listen to your critics and see if there is something true to what they are saying. If there is, try on working to better yourself and those critics will become your biggest helping hands.

13. Earn trust

As in any relationship, respect and love take time to grow. On social media, it is post after post, action after action. Once you dedicate yourself enough to gaining that bond you have a tribe, and you are blessed.

14. Be loyal and give back

Post at least once a week tagging your tribe to thank them for being there for you. Tag your tribe in your pictures so that they will feel part of your journey. Propose a direct message group with your tribe. Organize giveaways and create strategic alliances.

15. Be genuine

Be you. All of the above statements lead up to the most important point: people want to see you and your own uniqueness. Do not hide behind imitating others, learn from them and get some inspiration, but YOU are the star.

Social media is a way to express someone’s soul: the more genuine you can be, the truer the relationship with your followers will become, and these people will slowly become your tribe. What you emanate with your posts and social media presence will be received and will reflect back to you like a mirror. This relationship does not happen overnight nor does it take place if you feel forced to be on social media.

Look for that joy that inspires you to post, ultimately building your tribe can be more personal than you think.

Source: entrepreneur.com ~ By SIMONETTA LEIN ~ Image: Canva Pro

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How To Build ‘Online Tribes’ Through Community-Based Marketing

ecommerce

Since the beginning of our animal consciousness, communities have been a part of our lives. In our deepest human desires, we crave togetherness and connectivity.

In our myths of lost kingdoms and the stories of rebels and wars between armies, we all live with an unconscious sense of tribes and societies. And therefore, businesses that focus on communities can thrive beyond their imaginations.

Just by understanding the principles of online community building, I believe you can increase your revenue, create better businesses and leave a long-lasting impact on the planet if you care for it.

You could say that Amazon’s Prime subscription brings shoppers together, while Netflix is creating a class of binge-watchers. The online community model is thriving already. In this post, you will discover three important pillars of the community-based marketing model and more.

You can create online tribes in coaching, e-commerce, SaaS and almost every business. They don’t even have to be like each other. A tribe of busy business owners will be different from a community of students who are learning to code. A yoga community will look different from a tribe of singers and dancers.

But in almost every business, creating communities can be useful. With that said, we can jump into the first pillar of community-based marketing.

Community Development (From Scratch)

What would inspire the first person to join your community? And how we can create a “system” for community growth?

I have helped people grow their communities and have done the same for my business. From working as a 17-year-old salesperson to helping individuals grow thousands of followers and fans, here is what I have learned so far:

“People come for money but stay for the community.”

You can use viral giveaways, Amazon gift cards, and many similar methods to bring people together. Giving something valuable for free attracts people faster. But it’s not everything.

You can also attract people with educational content that they can discover through social media and search engines; this is also a powerful way to turn strangers into an audience.

Once people discover your brand, you can invite them to join your group, channel or whatever place you meet with your tribe. It all starts with one person.

Community Engagement

I believe creating communities while not serving them is a sin.

If they’re provided with the right context, communities naturally start conversations, flourish together, walk together, and transform themselves (together). That also creates more opportunities for businesses to offer solutions with minimal effort.

Weekend events, ask-me-anything (AMA) sessions, and “community-only” perks are some tools that you can apply in the beginning to foster engagement.

My big lesson is this: The biggest source of engagement often comes from the clear goal and vision of the tribe. So it’s vital to create a set of rules or guidelines.

Another critical part of a successful community is a sense of belongingness. I have worked in the cryptocurrency industry, which I call an “attention-deficient” industry. Many people are young and hidden behind pseudonyms; they can get panicked quickly, and everything changes rapidly there. Yet in my experience, the success of many ventures in the initial days had a lot to do with the sense of belongingness that people found in them. The latest example is a fun cryptocurrency known as Dogecoin that gained popularity because of a meme.

Community Monetization

Once a community grows, it typically develops the need for more solutions.

If people are trying to stay fit in the community, they will require education and tools to achieve their goals. This is where you can monetize the community through your products.

If it’s a business community, creating masterminds and online courses is a wonderful way to create a wildly profitable business while serving your tribe.

The idea of community monetization is simple: Offer what people are looking for. It can not only make you profitable but also create a natural system of long-lasting growth.

Conclusion

I’ve discovered how to use online tribes to create more meaningful and profitable businesses. Often, I’ve seen people who didn’t want to buy my products join me for a sense of belongingness and warmth. I like this part of marketing more than anything. It reminds me more of my humanity.

Marketing is “broadcasting your message to one person at a time,” and communities have a natural power to do this. By creating communities and setting the right context for them, it’s possible to build a business without selling the soul.

Source: forbes.com ~ By Himanshu Bisht ~ Image: Canva Pro

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Three Emotions You Experience When Conquering Fear

face your fear

I was sitting on my front porch, drinking my morning cup of coffee, and scrolling through Twitter when I came across a video that stopped me in my tracks.

I bet you’ve seen it—the video quickly went viral and got millions of views.

It’s about a 14-year-old boy named Tim Bannon who was born without arms. In the video, he attempts a 20-inch box jump at a summer camp he attends for limb-different youth. Take a look:

Powerful, isn’t it?

What caught my attention about this video was how clearly it demonstrated the power fear can have over us. If we allow it, fear will consume us and hold us back in every area of our lives. From careers to relationships, no part of your life is safe from fear’s trap.

But notice how I wrote allow it. Fear is real, and it’s paralyzing. But at the end of the day, we have what it takes to overpower fear so we can reach our highest potential.

This video taught me that no matter what emotions we experience when facing fear head-on, we’ll be better equipped to know what to do with those emotions if we’re able to identify them. Identifying the emotions will help you go from being a passive participant in the situation to an active one.

If you rewatch the video, you’ll witness Tim power through three emotions as he conquers his fear of falling. Instead of caving into the roller coaster of emotions, he was able to channel each emotion to propel himself forward—and I want you to be able to do the same.

As you can see from Tim’s experience, you’ll experience a range of emotions when trying to conquer a fear. Let’s talk about three of those emotions.

1. Agony

Fear torments us, doesn’t it?

In the video, you can see Tim agonizing over his fear of falling as he attempts an exercise that typically involves momentum from your arms.

He hesitates during the first couple of jumps he takes, which keeps him from succeeding. That’s because when you’re focused on the possibility of failing, you’re not able to put forth all the effort and power you have within.

What’s interesting is that Tim’s fear of falling during his attempt is—in a way—not reasonable. There are two large men standing on either side of him, ready to catch him if he falls. But he’s too focused on the agony to realize he’s believing a lie. Because the truth is, if he messes up his footing, he won’t really fall. He’ll be just fine!

Don’t we all do that? We focus on where we might fall short and what might make us fail, rather than putting our focus on what is actually true in that situation.

The truth in your situation might not be as obvious as two large men standing by you, ready to cushion your landing. But I’m willing to bet there is a truth that can replace the lie you’re believing—and that truth will help silence the agony.

If you’re unsure about what the truth is in your situation, talk with people you love and trust. When you’re in the thick of it, it’s hard to see beyond your fear—but a trusted outside perspective can help clear up some of that fog.

2. Anger

After experiencing the agony of fear, you might begin to feel angry. Just like Tim, you get frustrated because any failed attempts affirm the lie you’re believing.

This is probably the most important emotion of the three because anger could be what either makes you or breaks you, depending on how you channel it.

When you’re feeling anger in the process of conquering your fear, you have a choice between one of two actions:

Retreat and let the anger overpower you (the flight response).

Turn the anger into power to propel you forward (the fight response).

The second is exactly what Tim does in the video. After agonizing over the fear of falling and getting angry at his failed attempts, he’s had enough. He turns that anger into power, jumps harder and higher, and conquers the box jump once and for all.

3. Awe and Astonishment

Do you know what it feels like to finally conquer a fear? It’s exhilarating. You experience a rush of emotions that quickly overwhelms you. You stand astonished because now you have proof that you have what it takes to do the thing you were afraid to do.

And no one can take that away from you.

You can see the awe and astonishment on Tim’s face when he jumps off the box and falls straight into the arms of his coach, tears streaming down his face.

He gets affirmation from himself and from others that he is, in fact, able to accomplish more than he thinks he can.

And the same is true for you.

Whatever fear you’re struggling to conquer, I want you to know that it’s normal to experience agony in the beginning and that the agony might turn into anger. But that’s when it’s up to you to decide what you’re going to do with that anger. Which will you choose: fight or flight?

Only one of those choices will lead to the overwhelming exhilaration of crushing the fear that once haunted you.

Press on, folks—you are more capable than you think!

Source: ramseysolutions.com ~ By Ken Coleman ~ Image: Canva Pro

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How to overcome fear and anxiety, these 7 steps can help

fear and anxiety

The saying goes “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself” — but there are a lot of scary things out there. Knowing how to overcome fear and anxiety is crucial. While managing our fear and anxiety well — and knowing the difference between the two — is important to our mental health and career success.

What are fear and anxiety?

Back when we lived in caves, we needed to constantly assess whether we were safe. A highly-tuned sensitivity to potential threats was necessary for survival. We don’t experience the same kinds of stressors as we did thousands of years ago, but the response is pretty much the same.

Fear is the emotion we experience when we see a threat to our physical well-being or emotional well-being.

Our bodies — and brains — react to both kinds of threats in the same way. In other words, it makes no difference whether the threat is a physical, emotional, or social one. The alarm bells of the autonomic nervous system don’t distinguish between public speaking and a saber-toothed tiger. In fact, many of us would prefer the latter.

Although unpleasant, fear is a healthy response. Our fight-or-flight response keeps us alive, safe, and thriving. When constant fear prevents you from living life to the fullest, though, it becomes anxiety.

On the surface, anxiety looks very much like fear. And they’re rooted in the same emotion. But anxiety occurs when fear becomes maladaptive (the psychological term for when a normal response gets out of control).

Anxiety is when the fear response goes haywire. You may feel afraid all the time, overreact, or respond to triggers that don’t actually pose a threat.

While fear is something that people experience regularly, anxiety should not be a part of your day-to-day life (easier said than done for most). Fear is an emotion, and anxiety is a mental health disorder.

The symptoms of fear go away on their own when the threat dissipates. Symptoms of anxiety, however, persist and often must be managed with medication and therapy.

What’s the difference between fear and anxiety?

Fear symptoms and anxiety symptoms overlap in many ways, but the reasons they occur are different. Both fear and anxiety trigger the body’s stress response. However, fear usually occurs in the face of a “real” or immediate, tangible threat, while anxiety occurs in response to imagined danger.

Fear is a (generally) short-lived reaction, while anxiety can be ever-present. Both share physical sensations, like a racing heart, muscle tension, a tingle or a cold chill, and an increased breathing rate.

These physical sensations are part of the body’s fight-or-flight response. They prepare you to take quick action by diverting your resources to necessary functions.

Symptoms of fear include:

    • Startle response, usually a sudden movement like flinching or jumping
    • A feeling of trepidation or anticipation tied to something specific
    • Nervous reaction (like laughing or fidgeting)
    • A feeling of relief after the perceived threat is extinguished

Symptoms of anxiety include:

The effects of fear and anxiety

Fear and anxiety often overlap. As noted above, they share many of the same symptoms. But someone that has anxiety will have a more sensitive fear trigger. Even situations that don’t present an immediate threat may cause feelings of fear.

For example, imagine that you are in an office and see a group of coworkers chatting casually. This stimulus is fairly innocuous. However, if you have anxiety, you may begin to experience racing thoughts, and nervousness, and have trouble saying hello to them. Do your coworkers pose a threat?

In this case, yes. There is no immediate threat or inherent danger — your colleagues aren’t about to run you over or attack you (probably). But if you, say, are concerned that they may be talking about you, you’re responding to the perceived threat. Your response is appropriate for what might happen, not what’s happening now.

So what’s wrong with that? People gossip, right? And weren’t they probably talking about you? You wouldn’t feel this way unless it were true, right? Not so fast.

We assume that our emotions are “triggered” in response to a certain stimulus. In other words, we react to whatever is happening around us, and we trust our emotions to give us feedback on what we see. However, that’s not true.

Remember the fight-or-flight response? It’s not really a response — well, not a response to the stimulus, that is. Emotion researcher Lisa Feldman Barrett says that the brain uses sensory input to predict what will happen next. Based on its prediction, the brain generates a physical response, which we read as emotion.

Why this extra step? Through our experiences and learning, your brain has gotten quite good at predicting. It’s helpful because a reactive brain would be too slow to get you out of danger efficiently.

However, when we’ve gotten used to “predicting” (read: interpreting) everything as a threat, our anxiety levels are high all the time. There’s no actual threat, but there are so many things that might happen to worry about.

Our body’s response to fear is to activate the sympathetic nervous system — whether the threat is real or imagined. This evolved to work as a short-term boost to get us out of danger and isn’t well suited for managing vague, continued threats. Over time, fear and anxiety can have adverse effects on the mind, emotions, and body.

Mind

    • You may have racing thoughts, feel overwhelmed, or be unable to slow down.
    • You may feel paranoid, concerned about your performance, or whether you’ll be “found out” as an impostor.
    • You may experience a reduced ability to focus, cognitive impairment, and an inability to get into the flow.

Emotion

Body

    • You may experience unexplained physical feelings, aches, and pains, including headaches.
    • You may feel fatigued, even after a full night’s sleep.
    • You might have trouble relaxing or sitting still.

Explaining concepts around fear and anxiety

When people talk about fear and anxiety, they often use the words interchangeably. But there’s a whole range of experiences on the anxiety spectrum. In fact, the DSM-5 actually classifies anxiety as a subset of mood disorders, and there are several different kinds. Learning to label the experience may help you feel better able to control it.

Here are some common terms used to describe fear and anxiety:

Anxiety disorder

The term anxiety disorder refers to a classification of mental health diagnoses that result in anxiety symptoms. These include phobias and panic attacks. They also include obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Anxiety disorders have basic symptoms in common but can differ in severity.

Panic attacks

A panic attack usually happens suddenly and without a specific trigger. Whereas many symptoms of anxiety are mental, panic attacks are notable for strong physical sensations. In fact, many people having panic attacks believe that they are experiencing a heart attack.

During a panic attack, people often feel an overwhelming sense of dread and as if they’re about to die. It is difficult to function through a panic attack. Despite the severity of panic symptoms, it is not always possible to tell that someone is having a panic attack by looking at them.

Phobias

Phobias are panic responses that occur in response to a specific stimulus. Typically the person experiencing the panic attack will be able to name what caused it. They have likely had phobia attacks before. The responses to these phobias can range from mild to debilitating.

In order to classify as a true phobia, the aversion has to result in impairment to their daily life. People with phobias sometimes go to great lengths to avoid the trigger.

7 steps for how to overcome your fear and anxiety

Managing fear and anxiety isn’t always easy. However, you can build your skills in managing your emotional response. Developing self-awareness is a great first step in overcoming your fears and anxiety.

Here are 7 steps to learn how to overcome fear and anxiety at work:

1. Notice how you feel

Not everyone is good at talking about their emotions. Being able to identify your anxiety is a helpful first step. What sensations clue you into your emotional state? Do you have trouble breathing, sweaty palms, or a stomachache? Practice reading that as a physical cue instead of being carried away by it.

2. Own the fear

Have you ever been on the verge of tears and tried to stop them from coming? It’s extremely difficult. Trying to ignore your fearful thoughts is just as hard. Stop wasting emotional energy trying to be okay. That energy is better used to reach out for help.

3. Breathe

Even though “take a deep breath” is probably not what you want to hear, there’s a reason why it works. Deep and mindful breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system. Breathing, mindfulness meditation, and other relaxation techniques deactivate the body’s stress response.

4. Check in with yourself again 

How are you feeling now, and what is the next best step to take? Should you take a walk? Do you need to remove yourself from your current situation or reach out to someone? This is an interim measure to give yourself a chance to choose the response that best serves you.

5. Handle your basic biological needs

Your body only has so many physiological sensations, so it’s easy to confuse them. Your brain may interpret a fluttering sensation in the stomach as love or stage fright. What if it’s just hunger? Drink a glass of water and eat something (preferably with some nutritional value). Do you still feel anxious?

6. Take your negative thoughts to trial

Ask yourself, “What am I afraid of? Is it happening right now or is it an imagined threat?” If you have the time, talk through your fearful thoughts or write out what happened and how you feel. Then imagine a response that makes you feel empowered.

7. Get back in the arena

Now that you have a clearer understanding of why you feel how you feel, decide the best course of action. Do you need to have a conversation with someone? Is there an action you need to take? Don’t procrastinate. Lingering tasks have a way of producing more anxiety. Being proactive will help you feel more in control and boost your self-confidence, both now and in future stressful situations.

How to know if you need help overcoming fear and anxiety

Sometimes, it’s not possible to manage your anxiety problems by yourself — and that’s okay. If you’ve tried the above steps with no luck (or they just feel like too much), reach out to a coach or counselor.

As mentioned earlier, learning how to manage fear and anxiety is a natural part of life. The fear response evolved to help us. But it becomes maladaptive when it interferes with your ability to function.

Your anxiety symptoms may be more than you can manage alone if:

    • You often feel overwhelmed
    • You have trouble completing routine daily tasks
    • You can’t function as you normally do at work
    • You have to cancel work or social events due to social anxiety
    • You take action or plan your activities around avoiding your triggers

If any of these statements are true, reach out to a mental health professional for support.

Anxiety is often managed by a combination of medication and cognitive psychotherapy. Neither intervention has to be forever. A therapist will work with you to manage the immediate symptoms.

Joining a support group can give you insight into others’ experiences of overcoming fear. The goal is to improve your overall state of being while you learn how to naturally overcome anxiety in your daily life.

Learning how to overcome fear and anxiety takes self-awareness and strength — and a healthy dose of courage. You don’t have to manage it alone. A coach or counselor can help you master the skills to overcome anxiety and fear.

Source: betterup.com ~ By Allaya Cooks-Campbell ~ Image: Canva Pro

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How To Overcome Fear

overcoming fear
Think about your biggest goal. Why haven’t you accomplished it yet? If you’re like most people, the answer is basic: fear. Fear is the limiting factor stopping you from working toward what you want. Fear distracts us and leads to excuses – but it doesn’t have to. Learning how to overcome fear is one of the most liberating pursuits you can undertake.

It’s easy to pretend fear isn’t influencing you and to make excuses as to why you haven’t achieved what you’re capable of. Instead of turning around and hiding from it, treat fear as a cue to take action, not an excuse. Look at your goal. If you let fear chase you away from achieving it, then you’ve effectively given in.

Fear of uncertainty, fear of failure, and other common fears all stem from one area: the limiting beliefs holding you back. Ten steps will teach you how to conquer fear and move you closer to the life you want.

THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND OVERCOMING FEAR

Learning how to overcome fear and anxiety can be an intimidating prospect if you don’t understand the mechanisms behind them. Before you berate yourself for feeling afraid, recognize that fear is a normal evolutionary response. Although it may not feel like it in the moment, your body and brain are communicating with you. When you learn to read the signals, conquering fear comes naturally.

Tony Robbins has helped millions of people learn how to overcome fear and start creating lives they love. In his vast experience, fear goes beyond the physical signals we often feel in a scary situation. There are several types of fear that are much more insidious.

PHYSICAL FEAR

When most of us think of fear, we think of physical threats, triggered by a known outside event – a loud noise, looking over the edge of a high place or standing in front of a crowd. Physical fear can even take the form of phobias – as many as 12% of adults experience a phobia at some point. Phobias are an extreme fear of a very specific situation, object, or animal. Spiders, heights, public speaking, and enclosed spaces are a few well-known phobias.

During a physical fear response, you’ll feel your heart beat faster and your breathing quicken. You may feel a pit in your stomach, feel dizzy, sweat or get a dry mouth. Your muscles may feel more tense or weak. These are all results of your body’s “fight or flight” response. Without the fear response, you’d leave yourself wide open to danger. Yet in the modern world, fear can take many other forms – and some of them aren’t as obvious.

ANXIETY

Think of anxiety like long-term fear. It’s typically focused on the future rather than the present. Anxiety disorders are on the rise in America: As much as 18% of the population is affected each year. Anxiety and stress can have long-lasting consequences: When you live in a state of stress, your body releases a chemical called cortisol. Too much cortisol can cause problems sleeping and focusing weight gain and even affect your immune response.

For many of us, risks like taking the leap into a new career, letting ourselves be vulnerable in a relationship or even investing our hard-earned money can cause generalized anxiety, where you have difficulty falling asleep, can’t concentrate, and replay the same scenarios in your head over and over. But what is the root cause of these thoughts? Tony has found there are several types of fear that can be deeply ingrained in the psyche.

FEAR OF UNCERTAINTY

At our core, all of our thoughts, decisions, and behaviors are driven by Six Human Needs. For many of us, certainty is our most powerful need: We want to know what is coming next. And while we do need some certainty in our lives, we also need uncertainty and variety. Fear of uncertainty prevents us from getting out of our comfort zones. It tells us, “You might as well stay here, where it’s safe.” And it’s the real reason why many people feel stuck, unable to achieve their goals.

FEAR OF FAILURE

Fear of failure is another common fear that stems from the human need for certainty, as well as the need for significance. We are wired to avoid pain and gain pleasure – and avoiding failure is surely an easy way to avoid pain. We want to feel significant, but failure makes us feel small and unimportant. Yet we’re also wired for growth, and as every successful person on the planet knows, failure leads to growth. You must shift your mindset on failure to think of it as a positive, not a negative.

HOW TO OVERCOME FEAR

Conquering fear means harnessing the fear response and using it to your advantage. Learning how to conquer fear begins with finding your center. Here are dependable tips to overcome fear and anxiety so you can live life to its fullest.

1. IDENTIFY YOUR FEARS

Learning how to overcome fear is much like any problem-solving challenge in that you must identify the challenge in order to overcome it. What is it you’re afraid of? Sit quietly for a few minutes and observe your thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations. Write down what comes up, and be as specific as you can. Consider embracing a daily mindfulness meditation practice to gain greater clarity on what drives you. As you find your center, you’ll feel empowered to confront your fears.

2. RECOGNIZE THAT FEAR CAN WORK TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Our emotions exist to tell us things. When you feel fear, your soul wants to tell you something – so listen. If you feel overcome by stress or distracted by subtle-but-persistent anxiety, it’s likely a subconscious fear that needs your attention. Rather than avoiding it, overcoming fear requires leaning into your anxiety. View the fear as a piece of information instead of a threat to your survival. When you use anxiety to your advantage, it can’t ruin your life. In overcoming fear, it becomes your ally – a critical source of guidance to reach your full potential.

3. SIT WITH YOUR FEAR

There are times for action and times for reflection. Acting too quickly to overcome your fear can lead to behaviors that do more harm than good, like reaching for a drink, indulging in comfort food or even repressing the feeling entirely. Next time you feel fearful, do nothing. Sit with your fear for a few minutes. Think about it. What is the root cause? Is it fear of uncertainty? Fear of failure? What is the story you tell yourself about why you can’t overcome this fear? A moment of reflection can have a great effect on overcoming fear in a way that is productive, deliberate, and effective.

 4. CREATE GOALS THAT ARE “MUSTS”

Oftentimes the process of overcoming fear becomes stymied by uninspiring or elusive goals we set for ourselves. To turn this around, ask yourself: What does the life you desire and deserve look like? Is it just a “someday, maybe” plan or do you actively work toward it? Is it something that is attainable and you’re willing to commit to? The first step in overcoming fear is identifying whether or not you’re creating a compelling goal. If you accomplish this, will you feel fulfilled? Conversely, if you don’t accomplish this, will you be lost?

Dig deeper into your goal. What is your ideal outcome? Is it financial growth – more money in the bank? Maybe you want the financial independence to travel anytime, anywhere? Consider what your life will look like if you don’t achieve this outcome and compare it to what your life will look like if you do. Once you feel that your goal is essential, the fear of not making an effort eclipses the fear of failure – that’s when you’ll be inspired to act.

5. RECOGNIZE THE EXCUSES

Fear makes you put things off. “I’m really tired. I have other stuff to do. It’s a dumb idea anyway.” These excuses probably sound familiar, don’t they? You’ve probably said this out loud and to yourself. Think about it. Is there any truth to these statements, or are you constructing excuses to avoid potential failure? It’s much easier and less painful to make excuses than it is to put in the long hours and energy it will take to work toward your goal, but excuses and opting out will ultimately leave you feeling unfulfilled. If you want to find out how to conquer fear, you need to take a different, proactive approach.

Recognize when you are using excuses and figure out how to overcome them. Too tired? Adjust your schedule so you can get a better night’s sleep. Not enough time? Assess your priorities and find out where you can make time. And the next time an excuse comes to you, make the decision to not give in to the little voice telling you “No,” because it won’t help you grow in the long run.

6. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH SUCCESS

Tony says that “Proximity is power.” This is also known as the law of attraction, or the idea that, in essence, you become the people you surround yourself with. Tony puts it another way: “Whatever you hold in your mind on a consistent basis is exactly what you will experience in your life.” If you’ve turned your “shoulds” into “musts” and recognized all your excuses but still aren’t sure how to overcome fear and put your goals into action, it’s time to examine your focus.

People who are focused on overcoming fear and achieving their dreams surround themselves with others who have the same mindset. These are people who you not only look up to but who will push you to achieve your goals. To overcome fear, you need to raise your standards – and allow others to hold you accountable.

7. ADOPT A GROWTH MINDSET

When you’re afraid, you tend to stay in one place. What if you make a mistake? What if you fail? You start to believe you can’t progress at all, that you’re incapable of it – the fear holds you back. One of the most powerful tips to overcome fear and anxiety is to adopt a growth mindset. It’s not about achieving your goals and being perfect every step of the way. No one is ever perfect all the time, so stop striving for that. It’s about getting comfortable with what you don’t know and continuing anyway – this is the foundation of a growth mindset.

As Tony says, “No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow your progress is, you’re still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.” As you work to overcome fear, you will realize that there will be lots of trials and tribulations along the way. As soon as you’ve accepted that the path to success includes growth and change, you’ll be one step closer to attaining your goals.

8. FIND VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO PAIN

No one likes pain. Most of us go to great lengths to avoid it. But pain is a profound teacher. If you accept that your life and your efforts to achieve your goals will be painful at times, painful experiences become opportunities for growth. When you let go of pain as a threat to your survival, it loses its power and becomes another tool for overcoming fear.

Everyone experiences hardships in life. It doesn’t matter whether your setbacks are personal or professional – what matters are the lessons you take from those experiences and how you apply them to your future. Instead of letting fear of uncertainty due to your past experiences dictate your decisions, actively choose to learn from those painful moments to be in control of your own life.

9. VISUALIZE YOUR GOALS

You’ve done the mental work: identifying the real reasons you’re holding yourself back and determining your must-haves in life. But overcoming fear requires that you practice these habits daily so they will lead to true action.

Tony says, “Identify your problems, but give your power and energy to solutions.” Goal visualization is one of these solutions. It’s used by some of the most successful athletes, actors, and entrepreneurs, like Michael Phelps, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Will Smith, and women’s soccer star Carli Lloyd, among others.

Goal visualization sets your focus – and where focus goes, energy flows. It can take the form of priming, meditation, or imagery training. The important thing is that you see yourself succeeding and fully immerse yourself in your goal. You’ll condition your brain to believe that anything is possible – a key step to overcoming fear.

10. ACCEPT THAT YOU’LL FAIL

What’s the number one fear people have when it comes to accomplishing their goals? That they’ll fail. But like pain, failure can teach us. In fact, failure is often a better teacher than success. If you accept from the onset that failure is an inevitable part of success, you’ll be less afraid of it. Failure can provide you with valuable learning experiences that will positively impact your future strategies.

Everyone fails. Successful business owners. World leaders. Prominent chefs. Artists and scientists and doctors. Our society shies away from talking about failure, and instead celebrates successes; this creates the false impression that to be truly successful you must never fail. But part of overcoming fear is recognizing that everyone on the planet – including those you know and admire – has encountered a failure on their path to greatness. The quicker you realize your fear of failure is preventing you from making the decision to accomplish your dreams, the sooner you’ll be able to accept the possibility of failing and move on.

How you respond to fear is what sets you apart from the rest of the crowd. Break through your own barriers at Unleash the Power Within, where you’ll learn how to overcome fear and tap into your inner power.

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