Managing Fear, and Anxiety in Pursuit of Your Goals

One of the biggest obstacles I've overcome (and continue to fight) in my adult life so far is managing fear and anxiety in pursuit of my goals, specifically pertaining to success in my businesses. I decided years ago that I never wanted to be the type of person that goes years, or even months saying they wish they could have accomplished something, providing excuses for all the reasons why dreams or goals never came to pass. I believe life should be about new experiences and accomplishment, not regret and empty dreams, so I make it a point to evaluate where I am in pursuit of my goals once a month, taking note of what’s holding me back, what I need to do to overcome certain obstacles, and what I can do to be a better and more productive human.

Well, today is July 1st, marking the beginning of a brand new month; a new opportunity to make things happen with a clear mind and a fresh start. This month I want to focus on overcoming fear, doubt, and anxiety in pursuit of goals. These three elements work together to wreak havoc on success, and increase chances of setback and failure. When your mindset about success is littered with lingering thoughts of doubt and fear you’ll never reach your full potential.

I don’t know about you, but I have BIG dreams for my future, and sometimes, these goals can feel so overwhelming that I start to wonder how in the world I will ever accomplish them. Here are some methods I use to help mitigate feelings of fear in pursuit of my goals.

1. Break your big goals down into smaller goals that feel easier to tackle.

One of the most significant reasons why I become fearful of my goals is because I get overwhelmed with all of the pieces I know need to come together for me to achieve them. I bought a huge whiteboard, hung it on my wall, and each week I write out what I want to accomplish, how I’m going to do it, and how that small accomplishment contributes to the bigger picture. Two of my goals next month are to increase wig sales for my hair boutique, and secure another client for my social media consulting business. This won’t happen overnight, but each day I take baby steps toward reaching those goals.

2. Realize that success will be a series of small wins, not one big great win that will represent everything you've hoped and dreamed for.

Sometimes I really get down on myself about not being where I want to be in by business, or in life, but then I thought about this: If everything I’ve been dreaming about for my business, my career, or even just life in general all happened today, would I even be ready for it all? Can I handle the level of success I’ve been dreaming of my whole life today? The answer is NO! I’m not ready yet. But in two years ​after I’ve grown more, become wiser, and smarter I will be. Life is a series of stepping stones, and right now I’m moving along my stone trail of success.

3. Don't move in silence. Find someone you trust, and talk about your goals, what might he holding you back, and what your plans are.

I hate when people say "Keep quiet about your goals. When you move in silence, they won’t know what to attack… blah blah blah.” WRONG! Talk about your goals. Speak success into existence. Everything isn’t for everybody, and maybe social media isn’t the place to share your ambitions, but talk to someone about your dreams, whether it be a mentor, friend, or close family member.

4. Cast your fears and anxieties on the Lord!

You have to trust that God's plan for your future is far, far greater than any lingering fears you have floating around in your head. Let go of whatever is holding you back and WORK! There just really isn't enough room in your mind for worry and faith, so you have to decide which one will live there. Understand that your story has already been written. Trust God’s plan. If you fall down, get back up and try again, because there was something you were suppose to learn from that failure.

Remember, mindset is everything, and at the end of the day, YOU are the only person that can hold YOU back from achieving your full potential. I hope these tips about overcoming fear were useful to you, and if you find that you aren’t achieving your greatest potential right now take time to do a self evaluation. Thanks for reading, and until next time, live life with purpose, on purpose!

#niawithpurpose