!0 ways to deal with fear
Author: Julie Plenty

10 ways to reduce fear.

Fear often interferes with our ability to live more fulfilling lives. Fear is the critical voice in our head saying: "You'll never succeed, so why try?". Fear makes us listen to those voices and give up before we've even started.

When we let fear rule our lives, we miss out on opportunities and leads us to dismiss people and situations that could help us reach our goals. Fear comes in different guises and different forms - procrastination for example. Here are 10 ways to reduce and break through fear.


1.Write down your fears and how they affect your life.


2. Are there things that you're holding back on, because you're frightened that you are not good enough or of making changes generally? You have a limited time on this earth. Deadlines are called deadlines for a reason!


3. Listen to your self-talk. Many of us don't so much talk to ourselves as make statements ie "I'll never be able to get that job". This cuts your brain dead and gives it nothing to work on. It's gone for a prolonged holiday!


4. Start asking yourself questions. For example, ask "how can I make giving this speech an enjoyable experience?". Now your brain has something to do! Don't expect the answer straight away (but be aware of opportunities and situations that provide clues) - but you're going in the right direction. Get into the habit of asking yourself questions rather than making blanket (negative) statements.


5. Redefine "mistakes" and learn from them. Don't beat yourself up over mistakes you've made in the past and being fearful of starting new relationships, jobs etc. That gets you nowhere. Call a mistake an "opportunity for learning" and seek the learning in every "mistake".


6. Seek the company of supportive people and reduce contact with those who foster feelings of negativity and have a "fearful" approach to life.


7. Read books about people who have succeeded despite the obstacles and look at the principles and qualities behind what they did, their thinking and attitude. Closer to home - seek out role models who represent what you want to become. Learn from their approach and attitude.


8. Know that whatever quality you like or admire in someone is lying dormant in you - waiting to be developed. How else would you recognise it? Make a list of the qualities you most admire in someone else and ask yourself how they can be acknowledged and developed in you.


9. Your past doesn't have to define your future. Be aware of your past and willing to let go of it. Each day brings a new opportunity to do and think about things differently.


10. List your goals and the actions you need to take to achieve them every day. Every time you do something that brings you a little closer to achieving your goals, you will feel better about yourself and reduce your unnecessary fears.


and . . . . . . . .

get yourself a Coach! Or someone to (in)formally support and encourage you to break through your fear and achieve your goals.








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Julie Plenty is a Personal and Business Coach who specialises in helping people raise their level of self-esteem. She believes that too many people do not fulfil their potential because of low self-esteem. To address this she is currently developing the KickStart Your Self-Esteem! self-coaching programme which will on sale in early 2003. It will be a low cost way to access the coaching experience. Subscribe to the free e-course "5 ways to not improve your self-esteem" and you will get a discount on the KickStart Your Self-Esteem! programme when it is released next year. Subscription is easy, just send a blank e-mail to: selfesteemecourse@spearhead.par32.com

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