Have the Courage to Succeed in Short Sales

Have you ever heard the expression, "Feel the fear and do it anyway"? What do you need to get past your fears? You need courage.

A definition of courage is the ability to confront fear in the face of pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation. Courage is easily identified when we see firefighters enter a burning building, but it also exists in subtle ways. It takes courage for a child to ride their bike for the first time without training wheels, and it can take courage to defend an unpopular point of view.

Think of it this way: Is a parachutist "courageous"? You might feel it takes courage to jump out of a plane (and I certainly think it does), but what if the person jumping isn't afraid? If they're not afraid, are they courageous?

What is courageous to one person may not be to another. You may never have thought of it quite this way, but taking a business risk is another form of courage.

Maybe you think it would be safer to not take risks in the first place. People who never take risks because they're afraid "something will go wrong" live with a false sense of security. Things can and do go wrong even if you do nothing at all. The best way to be safe is to be the one in control - and you're not in control if your fears make the decisions for you.

Here are some tips to help deal with your fears:

• First, remember the things that "might happen" may never happen at all.
• Instead of saying "I can't do that..." say, "I can do that..."
• There is no right or wrong way to do something. If you make a choice that doesn't turn out like you hoped, it isn't a failure - it's just a setback. We learn and grow from our mistakes.
• Keep your focus and expectations realistic. If you have a problem in one area of your life, don't let it color your entire life.
• Think of past achievements that required overcoming a fear. No matter how trivial they may seem now, at the time, they required courage on your part, so you know you have it in you!

Not all fear is bad. Fear of having an accident causes us to drive safely. Fear of disease means we have vaccines to keep us healthy. There are other types of fear, however, that may keep you from reaching your goals:

• Fear of failure
• Fear of success (it may seem odd, but some people are afraid to succeed)
• Fear of what others might say or think about us
• Fear of responsibility
• Fear of the future
• Fear of being insecure or unsafe

The more you fear something, the more power it has over you.

Here's one way to deal with your fears. List all the reasons you are afraid and beside each write why you should not be afraid. List all the possible positive outcomes you may experience instead of what you fear may happen. Tackle one fear at a time. The more you practice confronting and conquering your fears, you'll find yourself growing in confidence - and reaching your goals.

Remember, courage isn't the absence of fear - courage is feeling the fear and doing it anyway!

** "Feel the fear and do it anyway" is a phrase used with the permission of Susan Jeffers, Ph.D., author of Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway©