When people are asked what their biggest fear is, most people say “public speaking”, followed by “heights”, “insects and bugs”, and “financial problems”. Those common answers are the top conscious fears, certainly, but many business owners – including Realtors® – actually have a completely different biggest fear. And they don’t even realize it.
They’re afraid of success.
What?? That doesn’t even make sense! How can success be a major fear? Many people believe they fear failure, perhaps, but SUCCESS?
It’s much more common than you think. Often, fear of success manifests itself as subtle sabotage right when you’re on the brink of a major breakthrough. You get in more arguments. You start making mistakes when talking to investors. You feel irritated at every little detail. Why?
In our culture, success can be extremely scary. First of all, it often brings major change to your life, which you may not be sure how to deal with. If you succeed once, people will expect you to succeed again. You’ll get more attention from people, which you may not want. Success demands that you operate outside your comfort zone for a long time – and perhaps permanently.
Fortunately, there are ways to deal with your fears of success. Here are four steps to help you work through this roadblock and become the agent you know you can be.
- Envision Success and Write Down How it Feels
The first step is to envision what success looks like for you in your real estate business and imagine it happening today. Do you feel anxious? Explore those feelings, and you’ll often find the roots of your fear. Maybe you think you won’t be home as often, or that you won’t manage your money well. Write them down.
- Review Those Fears and Write Down Counter Examples
For each fear that surfaces, write down three specific examples of times you DIDN’T act that way. For instance, if you’re afraid of poor money management, write down three examples of times that you did well with extra money. This will help build your confidence in your ability to handle your profits.
- If You Don’t Have Counter Examples, Get Extra Training or Help
Perhaps you really do have trouble spending extra money well, or spending time with your family when you’re stressed. If that’s the case, invest in extra training or help to overcome these weaknesses. When you have done so, you’ll be better prepared to handle success. These become new data points to inspire confidence.
- Review Your Confidence Points Regularly
What we do regularly always trumps what we do occasionally. Once you’ve written down examples of how you are capable to handle your concerns about success, review them often. This will help your improved confidence become permanent.
Fear of success is a subtle, though common, roadblock. As you build your real estate business, you can’t afford to be hampered by this fear. Using the four steps above will help you bring out your fears, prove them wrong, and cement that new confidence in your mind. With you confidence strengthened, success will be far easier to obtain.
Do you feel like you fear success? Why or why not? Share in the comments!
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