How to achieve Personal Success in 2010: Part 4

PART 4: CONTROL YOUR FEAR

"Many people have vague sorts of aims, but they get nowhere because they lack the self-confidence to create definitive plans for attaining these aims" - Napoleon Hill

We all want success, but not all reach it. Why? The answer lies within you. Each and everyone of us has the ability to make it or not. How many times did you get all jacked up about something and then the fear took hold? It happens to all of us. What you do at that moment of fear, will push you forward or pull you back.

To attain personal power, you need goals that invigorate you. Set targets far above yourself. Be bold. Be ambitious. Have confidence in your ability to achieve your desires.

Reaching such a level of self-confidence means overcoming some of your basic fears. The fear of criticism is on of the strongest. The thought that others may ridicule your ideas and choices could be stopping you from even trying to pursue personally meaningful goals.

You have to realise that this fear is brought on by vanity. Your reputation is important, but you have to draw a line. You will never succeed unless you stop worrying what others thing.

Attitude is everything
Self-confidence is about being optimistic. Self-doubt, purposelessness, jealousy, anxiety, depression, anger - these are fear-based internal drivers. YOu need to flush them out.

The difference in attitude between self-confident, successful people, and those with low self-confidence, is most clearly visible in their actions.

The lessons of defeat
Overcome your fear of failure. People who fear failure become obsessed with how their ideas might not work. They are so scared of the risks that they never reap the rewards. This is what keeps them from the success they are looking for.

To overcome these barriers, turn each one to your advantage. How do you do that? Remember that fear is part of the process; everyone experiences it, but understanding the roots of your fear is important. Most fears turn out to be imaginary; they are based not on facts, but on feelings. Once you know where your fear comes from, you can acknowledge it and accept it as part of your journey.

Realise that failure is unique to no one. Everyone has encountered a situation where they have wanted one thing and got another. The mark of a successful person is learning from the experience. Use what you have learnt and try something else.

“When all else fails, laugh.” It’s more important to laugh when things are going badly than when everything is great. Keep a sense of perspective and a sense of humor. Failure can be a powerful tool in stimulating growth. You can learn from it and use it as an opportunity to catapult to a new level in your growth process. But try not to lay the blame elsewhere if something fails. The natural tendency is to blame others, but you will never overcome your failures if you do that.

How you use failure to move forward depends on your attitude. Keep your head up. Acknowledge the value of failure and do not let it sap your self-confidence. Grow from it and view it as a mile-marker on your journey.

As motivation guru Anthony Robbins points out, there is no such thing as failure, only results.