Think As Inc

THE POWER OF FEAR

August 29, 2009 on 2:08 am | In life coaching | No Comments

A previous coaching client, thinking of switching from acting to accounting (that’s right, acting to accounting, NOT the other way around!) recently asked me how she’d know for certain when a career change is right.  For big life changes (as career changes often are) most clients are excited during the self-assessment process, stay pumped up for the planning phase, and then get petrified to make the actual leap.  To get past the fear, ask yourself one question:

Which will you regret more:  trying something and potentially failing miserably; or staying where you are and never knowing what might have been? 

The answer changes over time.  When you first consider change, the prospect of failure is often scarier than the prospect of regret.  You can improve your readiness with smaller changes – e.g., adding new skills, making contacts in your new field.  However, keep in mind that being scared off by potential (but by no means guaranteed) failure might indicate this change is not really for you.  Maybe the fear is signaling that you are unwilling to make this change a reality, and you might need to go back to the self-assessment stage.

However, as dreams of change keep calling you, the fear of failure wanes.  You might be scared, but you consider the change anyway.  You might be like my client, looking to others for certainty about something only she could decide for herself.  For this client, and others getting scared out of making a change, I propose you scare yourself INTO the change.  Use the power of fear – but fear of regret, not failure.  Move towards change because your fear of regret outweighs your fear of failure. 

Remember, you can earn back your career, your reputation, and your money after almost any setback, but you cannot ever regain the time you let pass by.  Yes, change is scary.  But, if you think change is scary, try regret.