PMG Power Blog: Stop Letting Fear Stand in Your Way

Are you afraid of success? Fear can be our greatest enemy, keeping us from even trying to achieve our dreams, let alone actually doing so. But how do you know if your attempts at success are being sabotaged by your own fear? Here are a few questions to ask yourself to figure out if it is:

• Do I always seem to find something wrong with myself and others just as I’m about to experience success? If you become agitated, easily angered and negative about everyone and everything as success draws near, you may be reacting more to your fears than to what’s actually happening. Picking apart your endeavors and the people helping you is one way to ensure failure, which may be exactly what your subconscious is after.
  

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• Do I lose focus as I get closer to succeeding? Another way to stop success in its tracks is to lose focus and momentum. This tendency may also show itself in the form of procrastination.
  
  

• Am I worried that achieving success will mean I sold out? You can’t please everyone. As you succeed you’ll move on to new adventures and new relationships. You will likely move to a new neighborhood as your finances improve and even start making new friends. This is not selling out, it’s moving forward.

• Do I think success will change me? Yes, success will change some things about you, but it doesn’t mean who you are as a person and what you believe in will change. You can strive to be the same old you—just a more successful version. It’s like putting on makeup or getting an attractive haircut. These things help you create a better version of yourself that accentuates all your positive features. Success does the same thing.

 

• Do I worry I can’t handle success? Success comes with a lot of responsibility. As your company grows, you’re suddenly responsible for other people’s livelihoods and happiness. This can be burdensome to some people. Instead of concentrating on all the responsibility that will fall on your shoulders, concentrate on the good things your success can accomplish and the opportunities it will afford to others.
  
  

Success can be scary. It means taking on more work and more responsibility. Sometimes it’s easier to fail than succeed, such as during the summer months when many agents and advisors let their sales decline due to the "summer slump everyone experiences." Instead of using that excuse, join me for my upcoming interactive webinar to learn how to keep your sales alive and well.

Don’t let those fears scare you or stand in your way. Instead, admit you have them so you can work through them and continue on your path toward success. Stop thinking about the negative aspects of success and instead concentrate on all the wonderful things it can bring into your life.

Submitted by: Dennis M. Postema, President & CEO of Postema Marketing Group, LLC

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