Jump In

I’ve been in quite a few tweet chats and general discussions over the past few days where people have talked about fear holding them back. For example, lots of bloggers are afraid to cold-call a brand. Or cold-email.

 

Seeing these posts by John & Kelly today reminded me of thoughts I’ve had in the back of my head for a while about worst case scenarios. So clearly, fear is the topic of the week and it’s time to blog about it.

 

No can be a harsh, stinging word.

 

But at least you have your answer. No more wondering. No more “what if”?

 

Still, no one wants to receive a no.Β So, what is your worst case scenario? What do you think will happen if someone says the dreadedΒ No to you?

 

Will you:

  • Never blog again?
  • Die?
  • Be paralysed?

 

Honestly, usually the worst case scenario is the word itself. No real implications. And this is something that is worth reminding ourselves of in all aspects of life.

 

Especially jobs.

 

The ultimate worst case scenario for a situation is death. So, will someone die if a report for work isn’t written on time? It’s highly unlikely. Is it truly urgent in that sense?

 

So how do you make these big, scary steps?

 

I liken it a bit to being dumped by a wave while bodyboarding. You were well positioned, ready to take on the wave. But you timed it wrong. You face down a pile of water, knowing you’re going under. Then, suddenly, you are underwater. You’re being bumped and dragged along the sand painfully. You don’t really know which way is up. The best you can do is hold your breath and wait for the wave to break so that you can float back to the surface.

 

Jump In. Do your best. Rise to the Surface.

Approaching the unknown will always bring fear with it. The more you approach it, the more you will be able to jump in, feet first, knowing that you’ll surface having done your best.

 

For me, reminding myself of the relativity of the situation is what works. Sure, I might look or feel like an idiot for a while if this or that goes wrong. But it’s unlikely I will be suffering any long term harm. I remind myself of that. This tactic has really worked for me. Perhaps too well. I often beat others to laughing at me when I’ve done something silly.

 

How do you manage fear?Β 

 

6 Replies to “Jump In”

  1. You forgot the Unicorn! πŸ˜‰

    Thanks for the mention – nice post!

    1. Haha I was so tempted to put the word unicorn at the bottom, just to have it there πŸ™‚

  2. It’s funny, I haven’t thought of approaching brands until I get x amount of readers or twitter followers or facebook likes but really this is a sign of procrastination. There is not perfect time, just jump in and do it. Love this post too. πŸ™‚

    1. Thanks Bec. Like you said, there isn’t a perfect time – for most things in life actually! Just ask πŸ™‚

  3. Excellent advice! I tend to put off tasks I fear, then action them if there’s a catalyst πŸ™‚ I used to like confronting fear head-on when I was younger but now… Older, more cautious πŸ™‚

    1. Older, wiser…and knowing that only sometimes procrastination gets found out πŸ˜‰

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