Tag Archives: Fear

Know Thyself

know-thyself-Socrates-quote

This post was the most challenging and most liberating posts I’ve written to date.  I needed to put into writing what I’d been thinking.  To be immensely successful personally, professionally, and spiritually in 2014 I needed to do an intense self analysis.  I needed to spend some time knowing what I am, and more specifically what I am not.

The purpose of this community is to sharpen our mental tools, be more positive, and to get better on a daily basis.   Negativity on the other hand makes the news and is around us at every turn.  This is NOT a negative post.  It’s an honest one.  There is a difference.  Below is a list of my challenges and how I choose to think about them in 2014.

Embrace Fear – I’m just as afraid if not more afraid as everyone else reading this post.  I’m most afraid of not being successful so I push on.  This is one of my biggest challenges and it prevents me from slowing down on a daily basis.  New ideas are needed.  New clients are needed.  New products are needed.  The more I embrace fears and take them head on, the stronger I become.  I will continue to be afraid, but I’ll embrace it and channel it as aggression with a focused direction.  I will not be consumed by fears I create.  The body and mind know the difference between real and created fears.

Be Myself – I’m guilty of always looking for more information and looking for a new angle.  It’s in my DNA.  A new book, podcast, or blog rich with information is always at my fingertips.  What I must remember is who I am, what do I believe, and what do I stand for.  How can I help others?  My friends and close relationships chose me for who I am, not who I’m trying to be.  What others think of me is their business.

Confidence Coefficient – I’m guilty of being cocky.  It’s in my DNA and a personality flaw I’m challenged with frequently.  I believe so much in achievement and confidence in my efforts it can quickly cross the invisible line into cockiness.  It’s really a double edged sword.  The more I win, the better and more invincible I feel (hence the confidence coefficient).  Without confidence however, winning doesn’t happen and I HATE losing.  I’m challenged weekly to remain confident without getting overly confident.  The key to maintaining a confident persona without getting cocky is to reflect frequently and to remember this.  The second I think I’ve arrived, I’ve already lost.

Be More Thankful – I’m an achiever addicted to winning.  I’m addicted to making the next move or knocking down the next big obstacle.  I don’t stop often enough to appreciate things.   Appreciate family, friends, relationships and a wonderful lifestyle.  I have so much to be thankful for, I need to stop and smell the roses more often.

Be There – I made a promise to myself in 2013 to “be there” more often no matter what for others.  Friends will need me.  Family will need me.  Peers will need advice.  Be there.  Nothing is as important as these pieces in my life so get moving and be there.  I found some of the most joy in 2013 by making this a focus.  It’s payed wonderful dividends.

Own My Talents – There can be much time invested and little return expected in focusing on what I’m not.  The same time however, will yield 10X returns if invested in what I am and where I can be most successful.   As previously stated, it’s extremely easy to find what we don’t have or what we lack.  To take a quote from Top Gun, “The list is long and distinguished.”  I’m going to invest (expecting a return) my time into what I’m really great at and watch the massive results happen!

Live Passionately – Compliments of the late Jim Valvano, “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”  Few things move me like his 1993 ESPY speech.  I often admire the vibrancy and passion Jimmy had for life and how he shared it.  He wasn’t afraid of his emotions and embraced every day with those he shared it with.  The reason I bring this up is I struggle to share my emotions.  I believed it to be sign of weakness.  If you ask my wife privately she’ll tell you I’m not the most open person with my feelings.   I don’t know if I’ll ever be great sharing my feelings, but I can get better.

Give – I’ve always been a bit selfish with my time.  I struggle to know why this is, but fall short on answers.  This is getting better and will be my best year ever in 2014.  I’ll give more time to others and not just give with monetary means.  I have a goal set to volunteer a specific number of times in 2014 and I plan on crushing it.  I friend of mine Juan Teran (who I asked if I could mention in this post) challenges me every time we speak to share more of ourselves with others.  I’m thankful for his challenge and I will answer the bell!

ACTION ITEMS:  I challenge you to do a similar self analysis.  Be realistic and honest, but not hard on yourself.  The goal is not to leave yourself battered and bruised.  I’d really love it if you could share one of your challenges with our community so we can all get better.  Lastly, if you know someone who will benefit from reading this please share.

 

Jerry Maguire, Seth Godin, and the $90 Fear

I certainly hope you’re wondering what Jerry Maguire, Seth Godin, and cash have in common with fear.  Allow me a moment to explain.

I spent a couple weeks up late at night scheming and planning.  I’d been sketching and strategizing toward the final stages of my big idea and presentation to our owners.

I’d done my research and there was undoubtedly merit to the plan.  Two core business elements would be repackaged and sold as a combined offering to our clients.  The client would benefit and so would our business.

As stated, I spent a couple weeks working through the particulars: sales, training, process, execution, client enrollment, external marketing and internal marketing.  All of these elements were combined into one well thought out plan (my opinion) ready to be put in front of our ownership the day before everyone departed for Thanksgiving.

bb360634fb28151dcbf284acb1dc71b6839d21d7b039fc17a12a3048179f6a60Imagine something along the lines of Jerry Maguire, without getting fired afterward of course.

I ventured off to Copyworks the evening before the presentation to ensure I had professionally bound materials ready for the following morning.  I was going to have eight of the documents printed in sharp color and bound for an expert touch.  To be taken seriously I was going to make serious moves!

When the booklets were completed the charming yet shy girl at the front desk asked me how I’d like to pay for the books.  I politely asked if she took American Express and replied with, “Yes, it will be $90 sir.”

WHAT?!?!  Are there gold leafs in the booklets?  How on earth could this cost $90?

I was confused, frustrated, and for some reason embarrassed.  Maybe I should’ve asked (before I was in such a hurry – typical me!) what the price was, but it was a little too late for that.  I handed her my credit card and she completed the transaction.  There were a couple of books remaining to be assembled so I grabbed a seat in a stodgy old chair by the front store window.

I starred off into the cold dreary street and I got to thinking.  Was I really upset about the $90?  I certainly shouldn’t be.  I mean, I had the $90 and I knew it was going to cost something.  I didn’t plan on bartering for the goods.  That’s when the real question hit me.

“Zac, do you think your idea is worth $90 or not?”

I had a fear of putting the concept out in the open; to our ownership nonetheless.  I was taking a chance.  The perfect idea lived in my head and on paper, but it might as well have been in a vacuum.  Certainly no one was going to benefit from a idea in a vacuum.  It had to see the light of day and breathe in the cool wintery Iowa air.

Taking time to reflect, I’m glad the books cost $90 to print and assemble.  It made me take a good hard look at the material and the confidence in my idea.  After all, it only took $90 to get my mind right!  Thousands of people waste much more than $90 trying to find confidence in the midst of fear.

As fate would have it, a couple days before I published this blog post, the email below appeared in my inbox from the remarkable Seth Godin.

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show-me-the-money

ACTION ITEM: Don’t let $90 keep you from your idea, concept, or business plan.  I promise you, It’s not the money you’re worried about.  The sooner you understand this, the closer you are to launch.

PS – When you do launch, I encourage you to scream “SHOW ME THE MONEY!”  It feels awesome.