Two of the most difficult aspects of accomplishing goals and being successful are gaining and maintaining a focus, and overcoming fear. Here are eight observations and recommendations on how to do it:
1. You must first have a vision for what the end result will look like. Begin with the end in mind, and know where you are going and determine how to get there. The 19th century author Lewis Carrol once wrote "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." A few years later in the 1900s the baseball Hall of Fame great Yogi Berra misquoted Carrol when he said, "If you don't know where you're going you'll end up somewhere else." Either statement emphasizes the importance of having a plan for reaching your goal.
2. A dream or goal is like a plant: give it nutrients and it will thrive; starve it and it will die. You must have a deep commitment to your dream to reach your goal, which can be a lengthy process requiring continuous feeding and attention.
3. To become focused on the task at hand, first estimate the size of the undertaking. By focusing on the long-term goal and estimating the distance to get there you will also be taking the first steps for alleviating fear that may occur.
4. Knowledge is power. A large amount of fear can be diminished by simply increasing your knowledge about the problem. By equipping yourself with knowledge, even as daunting as obtaining the results may appear, you will begin operating from a position of strength to overcome.
5. Embrace the fact that you have made plans for accomplishing you goal, which should include plans for handling challenges resulting from change. Do not fear change. Make adjustments in your approach as you move toward your goal. As long as you are advancing toward your goal you're moving in the right direction. Meet problems head-on, don't run from them.
6. Recognize that fear will be overcome when it occurs, not in advance. You can't remove fear in advance, but you can prepare yourself to effectively deal with fear should experience it.
7. If you get stymied, the best tactic is to just do something. Doing something about the problem will dislodge your attitude so you can regroup and move forward or in another direction if necessary. It's amazing what taking action will do to redirect your thoughts. Your direction may be straight ahead or a complete change.
8. Look for two-for-one opportunities. With reference to this discussion, two-for-one benefits are gained when the actions you take result in both overcoming the fear and the advancement toward your goal.
To illustrate, if you try to cross the Mississippi River by swimming you will not only get across the river, you will also end up downstream because of the river current. Therefore, you've accomplished two things at once. You moved a distance down the river and you made it to the other side.
When you train yourself to use these techniques and identify opportunities to use them you will be better equipped to overcome fear and improve your focus. It may be the difference in obtaining your goals and falling short. Learning to use these tips may assist with fear in other areas of life as well as increasing productivity.
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