From Fear to Freedom

2021-02-08 ~ adminlife

Every successful person has had to deal with fear. The road to hell might be paved with good intentions, but the road to success is littered with fear and uncertainty.

The biggest difference between someone that is wildly successful and someone that is not is the courage to take significant action over and over again.

These steps will enable you take that significant action, repeatedly:

Simply decide to succeed. Most people never really decide to do or accomplish anything significant; at best they ‘kinda sorta try it out.’ However, once you’ve truly decided to go for your dreams, there is no other option – and no room for fear or doubt – in your mind. In fact, the word ‘decide’ means to cut yourself off from any other possibility.
Embrace risk. Chase after your fears and show them who is boss. Make the tough presentation or phone call. Ask for whatever it is that you want. A big part of being successful is doing things that other people are too afraid to do.
Prepare yourself. Many of our stresses, challenges, and concerns are things that we anticipated. Take the time to find solutions and put them into place before you need them. When you can see a challenge that is likely to come up, simply prepare for it instead of worrying about it.
Go with the flow. If you don’t live in the past or future, life is much less stressful. Let go of your resistance to the present moment and see what happens.
Focus on the good outcomes. Most people look for the worst and expect it to happen. Expect the best and it’s much easier to take action. Sure, some undesirable things will likely happen along the way, but they’ll be like mosquitoes that need to be shooed away. That’s much better than the brick wall that you might otherwise perceive.
Learn to relax. When you feel stress and anxiety coming on, a few slow, deep breaths can make a huge difference. To a large extent, our psychology follows our physiology; breathing is the only part of our physiology that we can really control. Use that control to your advantage.
Fully engage in your life and get away from the news. The news is so negative. Instead, find something interesting to do with your time. If you’re conquering less stressful things all day long, the more stressful things don’t seem so bad anymore. Take a piano lesson, go hiking, or go skydiving. It will make your life more interesting, too.
Realize that you are enough. Even if you have things to learn and skills that need to be honed, that doesn’t mean that you’re incapable of the task at hand. Plan to acquire the resources you need, but do everything you can with the resources you have now.
Start small. Make a list of everything that you need to do but can’t seem to follow through on. Put them in order from least scary to most. Now decide to do the item at the top of the list. When that’s done, do the next. Only focus on the current item at the top of the list.

The only way to truly be free is to conquer your fears. The only way to conquer your fears is to do the things that frighten you. Show yourself that you can do those things successfully. Follow the suggestions above and start your journey from fear to freedom today!

You now have some advice and tips to help you to get started, overcome your fears and keep growing in your life.

If you still think that this is something that you will need help with, you can contact me at michael@coachmichaelw.com

To your success

Michael

Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash

I am always learning and growing.

2021-02-01 ~ adminlife

Each experience presents the opportunity to learn something new. Whether positive or negative, my experiences are learning moments. I learn from both my successes and my mistakes. Even undesirable outcomes are positive in my mind, because I always learn something.

My commitment to learning fuels constant growth. Everything I learn makes me more competent and effective. My victories make me stronger. My failures make me stronger, too. I am making the most of my time by learning from all of my experiences.

I am curious and love to learn. I enjoy learning about things that can impact my life in a positive way. I admire lifelong learners, and I want to learn for the rest of my life, too.

My goals determine what I need to learn. I focus my free time on gathering information and learning skills that help me achieve my goals.

I avoid ending my day until I learn something useful. I am always learning and growing. I view myself as a learner. I feel proud when I learn something new.

Today, I am making the most of my day. I am extracting the lesson from each and every experience I have today. I am growing into a more capable person.

Self-Reflection Questions:

What could I learn that would assist in the attainment of my goals?
What can I learn from today? From the last year? From my entire life? What are the lessons I have failed to recognize?
What mistakes do I continue to repeat? Why?

You now have some advice and tips to help you to keep growing in your life..

If you still think that this is something that you will need help with, you can contact me at michael@coachmichaelw.com

To your success

Michael

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Don’t Let the Fear of Failure Limit Your Life

2021-01-25 ~ adminlife

There’s not a lot to fear if you’re living in a first-world country. We’re free of wars, famine, plagues, animals that eat us, and dictators. However, fear is part of the human condition. We’ll always find something to be fearful about.

The fear of failure is a common fear that most people have experienced. We don’t like to appear inadequate in front of others.

Unfortunately, if you’re unwilling to risk failure, your life is going to be very limited. Learning to deal with the fear of failure is a worthy goal. Most people avoid situations where they might fail. That just means you’ll have less competition if you can get over your fear.

Take advantage of these strategies and refuse to allow the fear of failure to limit your life:

Define your fear. What exactly are you afraid of? Are you worried about being laughed at by your peers? Would you feel bad about yourself if you failed? Are you worried that you’ll never be successful? Define your fear.
Redefine failure. What is failure to you? Is it an inescapable and permanent result? Is it a sign that you’re incapable or inadequate?
- A healthier definition of failure is that it’s just an undesired result. You took a guess and you were wrong. You can learn from that result and do better on your next attempt. That’s not so bad.

Visualize success. Rather than imagining yourself failing, imagine yourself being successful. Take five minutes a few times each day and imagine yourself succeeding. Notice how great it feels and focus on that feeling.

- Give your brain more images of success than of failure. In time, you’ll grow to expect to be successful.

Consider the worst-case scenario. What is the worst that can happen? Can you handle it? Of course, you can.

- Develop a strategy for dealing with the worst possible outcome. Once you’re certain you can handle the worst, there’s nothing left to worry about.

Recall your past failures. You’ve overcome numerous failures. How many times did you fail while learning to walk? To talk? And yet here you are. You survived. We fail in small ways each day and the sun still rises the next day. The world will go on.
Become comfortable with discomfort. The thought of failure is uncomfortable, but that doesn’t mean you have to allow it to influence your actions. The uncomfortable sensations of any negative emotions are just suggestions. You’re free to choose how you’re going to respond.
Start small. If you’re too uncomfortable to move forward with your plans, just start small. Take a small action and notice that you’re still okay. Tomorrow you can take a slightly bigger step. In no time at all, you’ll be taking massive action toward your goals.
Consider what will happen if you allow your fear to stop you. Imagine yourself 20 years from now having not taken this risk. How will you feel about that? You’ll almost certainly regret it.

- Think back to your high school days. Remember that boy or girl you were too afraid to speak to? How do you feel about that now? You know that you’d muster up the courage if you could do it again.
- We regret the things we don’t do more than the things we do.

How much has the fear of failure impacted your life? It’s okay to be afraid, but it’s a little silly if you have a good understanding of failure.

What’s not okay is to allow your fear of failure to keep you out of the game. Your life is passing by. Refuse to allow fear to get in your way. You only have one life to live.

You now have the information you need to be able to eliminate fear from your life.

If you still think that this is something that you will need help with, you can contact me at michael@coachmichaelw.com

To your success

Michael

Image by John Hain from Pixabay

Small daily changes lead to huge results.

2021-01-18 ~ adminlife

Given enough time, small changes yield huge results. The Grand Canyon was created by a river over millions of years. Ocean waves created the sand on the beach from boulders.

Likewise, small actions taken repeatedly can have a monumental impact in my life if I am consistent and patient.

I can speed up my positive results by doing just a little bit better each day. If I am just a little bit better today than I was yesterday, I eventually see great results in my life.

A small improvement in my behaviour becomes a large improvement in a short time. This puts my life on the fast track to success.

I take comfort in knowing that it is unnecessary to make a major change all at once. It is much easier to only change a little each day. A small change is simple for me. Small changes are free of stress. Small changes are easy to maintain.

When I think about how much I can accomplish over the course of my lifetime if only I make a couple of tiny changes each day, I become excited about the future.

Today, I am committed to making small changes in my life. I am also committing to doing even better tomorrow by a tiny amount. Small daily changes lead to huge results.

Self-Reflection Questions:

What are three small changes I can make each day that will brighten my future?
What are three small changes I wish I had made 10 years ago?
How do I feel when I think about making a major change? How do I feel when I think about making a tiny change?

So making small changes in your daily routine can lead to major life changes that can help you to be more successful and happier.

If you want to discuss how you can learn more about finding those areas that you can make changes in to move you forward towards your goals, you can contact me at michael@coachmichaelw.com

To your success

Michael

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Someone is Knocking at the Door

2021-01-11 ~ adminlife

Someone is Knocking at the Door,

Somebody is Ringing Your Bell!

…Do Yourself a Favor, Open the Door,

Let Them In!

Have you ever felt that you are in a place, that although it’s good, and you are doing okay, you just KNOW it’s not where you’re supposed to be? Not what you were designed for? It’s not your destiny?

Frustrating isn’t it? And all the while the clock is ticking, time is passing, you’re getting older, and STILL you have that feeling.

What are you to do? Surely you can figure it out. You’re smart. You’ve got a good handle on life, so why can’t you figure it out? Why is it that although you can see clearly what you are NOT supposed to be doing, you have no idea what you ARE destined to do?

What if there were a simpler, more direct way of knowing what you should be doing with your life that required nothing more than for you to pay attention to just TWO things as you go about your daily routine?

These are those two things…

#1. AWARENESS

Thinking isn’t the answer. If it was, you would have found the solution a long time ago. So, avoid spending your time trying to come up with the answer. Just pay attention to what and who shows up in your life with monotonous regularity.

The longer you pay attention the easier it becomes to identify what you should be doing. This is because it has been showing up in your life, most likely for years.

However, you’ve been either setting it aside or dismissing it, because you cannot see how it can be done, how it can make enough money, or maybe you don’t have the experience for it.

For example:

When you’re on social media, what stories are you drawn to? What do you read the most? What do you comment on the most?
What about TV? When you’re scrolling the channels, which ones do you stop at the most, go back to the most, and watch the most?
If you go to a bookstore, what sections do you visit the most? What books do you reach out for the most? What books do you read the most?
When you meet people, either in person or over the internet, what topics of conversation do you find the most engaging?
What interviews do you enjoy the most on YouTube? What Podcasts do you find that you relate to the most?

If you pay attention, you’ll see a pattern emerge about what and who you resonate with. You’ll soon identify what it is that draws your attention. You’ll notice what intrigues, fascinates, or inspires you.

Start taking notes about what continues to show up in your life that you can relate to, or what you keep coming back to.

The penny will drop that these same things have been showing up for years. They have been knocking on your door for a LONG time!

Make a list of all the topics that show up in your life on a regular basis. Put the most compelling at the top. These are the ones that are knocking at your door AND ringing your bell.

Maybe it’s TIME – time to let them in.

Which brings us to….

#2. FEELINGS

Next, seek clarity. How do you feel about those topics that show up with regularity?

Ask yourself these questions:

What is it about (topic) that gets to me?
Why does it get to me?
How long has it been getting to me? (Much longer than you thought, right?)
If I got fully engaged in THAT, how would that make me feel?
What action can I take RIGHT NOW that would move me closer to that feeling? DO IT! …and do it immediately. Make that call, write that email, and search on YouTube or Google. Join a forum of like-minded people. Take a step forward, and it will move a step closer to you.

What about the people you meet, engage with, or listen to?

Notice how you feel about your connection with them. If possible, tell them how you feel about that interaction. Ask if you can talk further.
Find out what it is that draws you, intrigues you, or makes listening or engaging with them so compelling. Write it down and see what pattern emerges from your feelings.

Then, ask yourself these questions:

What is it about (Name) that makes me feel good?
What is it about (Name) that inspires me?
Why does it make me feel that way?
What action can I take RIGHT NOW that would move me towards feeling that way all the time? DO IT! …and do it NOW. Don’t wait. Act immediately on things that make you feel good if you want to live a fulfilling and compelling life.

You may have a lengthy list of things that move you. But you will soon see that certain items draw more of your attention than others.

Those are the ones you should follow up on first. Action is key. Why? Because INACTION has been your default for a very long time on some of these most compelling topics, hasn’t it?

Time to Change All That and Change It TODAY

If you want to cut the fluff, wasted time, and wasted energy from your life, AND the people who suck the life out of you, repeat this exercise often.

Take action often and you will soon find that everything you think, do, and say will become part of a whole new you.

A YOU that has the most fulfilling and compelling life imaginable! And along with it will come time you never thought you had and money you never thought you would earn to LIVE IT!

There you are, finding your life purpose is an important step in living the life you desire and deserve.

If you would like to find out even more about the things that you need to do to live the best year of your life, you can contact me at michael@coachmichaelw.com and we can talk about methods that we could use to help you with your life’s purpose and make you more successful.

To your success

Michael

Photo by Ylanite Koppens from Pexels