Right now I've started studying for an exam that I think will help me in my professional career. As I was studying a barrage of negative thoughts hit me. Do I have enough experience to pass, am I dedicated enough to commit to a rigorous study schedule? The negative thoughts eventually evolved to me wondering if the test was necessary at all. I began to go back and forth on whether I wanted to take the test and if that is truly where I wanted to put my focus at this time.
This morning I was reading "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill, I've just begun the chapter on Fear and it stated "Indecision is the seedling of fear! Indecision crystallizes into doubt, the two blend and become fear!" It was like the words were speaking right to my earlier conversation about whether or not I should take the test. At the base of my indecision and doubt was fear. Fear that I wasn't good enough, smart enough or dedicated enough to pass the exam.
I had a conversation with a coach recently regarding my fear and we began to take a look at all the goals that I've accomplished in the past. I was smart and dedicated enough to complete school, to switch industries and find a job at a non-profit and to complete a truck load of other significant accomplishments. We began to look at what it took for me to accomplish goals in the past. I began to remember how I put plans in place, set time aside and asked for support. I then began to look at the goals ahead of me now and figure out how I could use those same strategies that worked in the past. I won't say that the fear disappeared immediately but I will say that more and more my focus became my next action steps. Excitement started to build and although I knew it would be a lot of work I began to see myself taking action steps and visualizing the results I wanted. Soon there was no time to focus of fear. After uncovering what was really at the base of my indecision and doubt I knew that I couldn't let fear and self-doubt stop me for going for the big win.
