After last week’s assignment #1, the list of your strengths and weaknesses may have included:
Productive. Generous. Procrastinates. Detailed oriented. Balanced. Does not like authority. Decisive. Avoids confrontation. Problem solver. Practical. Fun loving. Sensitive. Unclear. Blocked. Loyal. Enthusiastic. Inconsistent. Visionary. Resourceful. Etc…
_____________________________________________________________________________
Chain # 2: The Fear of Failure.
This is probably the most common reason people do not achieve their dreams. This is the strongest and hardest chain to cut. From early childhood, this fear might have stunted our growth and therefore, we accepted mediocrity. This fear has unwittingly passed on generation to generation.
Failure: An event in which you did not achieve your desired outcome.
Failure’s Role: Any failure which you experience can be: 1.) a great teacher or powerful mentor to your success. 2.) a tyrannical dictator that can drastically limit or even destroy all hopes of future success.
Power Secret # 2: Overcoming Fear of Failure.
I. DETECTING SUBTLE FEARS
1.) Take ANY area of your life (career, relationships, hobby, finances, etc.) Write the answer to the question: IF you could have anything you want to happen in that area of your life, what would it be?
2.) List any of all of the obstacles that prevent you from seeing that wish fulfilled.
3.) Now list any fears that keep you from confronting that obstacle and trying to overcome it.
__________________________________________________________________
II.) DIFFUSING AND DEFEATING BAD FEAR
Take any of the fears you’ve listed above and answer the following 3 questions.
1.) What’s the worst that can happen if my fear came true?
2.) What’s more likely to happen if that fear is realized?
3.) What’s the BEST possible outcome for me and others if the fear isn’t realized and I overcome the obstacle?
___________________________________________________________________
III.) PUTTING FEAR of FAILURE INTO PERSPECTIVE
If you can identify any fears of failure that have kept you from pursuing a wish, a dream or a project, answer the same 3 questions from section II.
_______________________________________________________________________________
IV.) MAKING YOUR PAST FAILURES YOUR STRONGEST ALLIES
1.) List any personal or business failures you can recall that were hurtful to you (a failed relationship, failed business, rejected idea, etc.)
2.) Using that list, write down all the possible reasons that caused or contributed to each failure.
3.) Looking at those causes, write down the general lessons or principles they demonstrated.
4.) Are you currently ignoring those lessons and repeating those factors in your personal / professional life? If so, write them down.
If you have a hard time answering any of these questions, seek answers from those who may have been involved or who can help you with knowing the lessons of those failures.
5.) List any similar relationship or project in which you are currently involved, in which these failures could be repeated.
6.) List the actions you can take to prevent the lessons of past failures in your current similar situations.
To see significant progress in your life, remember to keep up each week. I know these exercises can be difficult… but nothing is more disappointing than having unfulfilled goals or relationships that didn’t have direction to grow….