Don’t Allow Fear to Stop You
Fear is an interesting concept. It is actually useful in the sense that it protects us from many different dangers, but what happens when fear has the ability to slow down or even stop our plans due to fear of the unknown?
By nature, we tend to stick with what’s familiar. We have routines that we do every day, and we feel comfortable in those same routines. Many of us go to work most days of the week, and in our jobs, we tend to do many of the same tasks.
We go grocery shopping at the same stores. We tend to visit our favorite restaurants. We watch the same genres of movies or TV shows, or we’re streaming things we’ve already seen just to watch them all over again. For me, that’s The Office. Michael Scott, Jim Halpert, and company are always a nice break from the norm, and they’re still streaming shows as of this writing.
Getting back on track here, have you ever stopped to notice how many of the things that you do are simply done out of routine? It’s no wonder that there’s a level of discomfort when it comes to doing something that’s outside of the norm.
If we decide that we’re going to spend money differently, or we’re planning on putting more money in savings, or we’re putting more money towards paying off credit cards, it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that there will be some level of fear or anxiety that goes along with that change.
Guess what? This is a completely normal response! When you are taken out of your comfort zone, you aren’t going to be completely comfortable, as the phrase suggests. You are being taken out of an area that you have found comfort in, so the assumption is that anything outside of this is going to feel uncomfortable, at least at first.
That right there is the answer. When you are doing something outside of your comfort zone that might cause you to worry about things or might cause you some fear or anxiety, know that as long as this is a generally healthy change for you, you will eventually be able to stretch out that comfort zone just a little further until the changes that you’re doing actually become part of your comfort zone once again.
The number one reason most people have a difficult time with staying on track when it comes to goals that are outside of their comfort zone is because the natural inclination is to go back to what feels common and what feels familiar.
It’s only when we are willing to face these fears, anxieties, and general feelings of discomfort that we will move on to the next level. Let me tell you, when you make up your mind to make a positive change in your life and actually accomplish that goal, you will feel like nothing can stop you.
That’s exactly why it’s so critical to not let temporary fears slow you down or stop you from moving forward. These fears and related feelings are only temporary. When you keep on keeping on, that is when you will overcome those fears and come out stronger on the other side. God bless.