Take the Fear Factor Test
Sitting on the couch, I watch my cat Minh pull at her mouse on a stick toy that is wrapped around the rung of a barstool sitting at the island in our kitchen. She pulls. Pulls again and again. Until suddenly she realizes it’s stuck.
She goes back to the rung and pulls it loose. Tries to pull it through again and it gets stuck.
She gives up. Comes to the couch and plops down next to me.
Like Minh, we tend to give up easily. When a problem persists we take the same set of actions to try and resolve it over and over again. We stick with a solution that we know has worked before. Why? Fear. Fear of trying something new. Fear of failure.
We can thank public schooling for that! Think outside of the box but stay within these constraints. Anyway…
Now apply this same school of thought to your goals. When we don’t reach our goal, let’s just say losing 10 pounds, we start over again. We eat the same foods. We exercise the same way. Then wonder why we only lost 3 pounds.
Fear of the unknown will hold you back in your career, your relationships and life if you don’t take control. In order to hit your goals you constantly need to be adapting. Trying things you’ve never tried before. Putting yourself in uncomfortable situations. Never giving up.
You’ve probably noticed at certain points in your life when solving a problem that multiple solutions existed. And you were right!
Most problems we face in life can be resolved in a variety of ways. When you’re not hitting a goal you need to try and try again until you find something that works.
From here forward when you’re not hitting a goal I want you to take…
The Fear Factor Test
Step 1: Write down your goal.
Step 2: Write down the scariest part of reaching your goal. Be honest with yourself. This is the hardest step!
Step 3: Stand up, walk out the door and go eat that elk penis (Dave Chappelle anyone? Follow the link if not.)! Had to throw that in there…
Really what I’m saying is stand up, walk out the door and go squash the scariest part about reaching your goal! Until you do this you won’t make any progress.
Still can’t hit your goal? Take the Fear Factor Test again. You’re not being honest enough with yourself. You may want to talk with friends and family, the ones who are brutally honest to see what you’re overlooking.
My father used to tell me to sing tenner when I was barking out the lyrics to a radio hit in the car. Then he’d follow that up with sing ten er’ fifteen miles away from here. I couldn’t sing. He was brutally honest. Now I could’ve done everything I needed to get better at singing, but had no interest in becoming a singer. Point being, honesty is the key to overcoming fear. Either be honest with yourself or surround yourself with people who will be for you.
When you’re not hitting goals its because of you! You’re afraid. Afraid of change. What the unknown holds. Be honest with yourself. Put yourself through the scary stuff. It’s the only way you can hit goals and improve.
Take the Fear Factor Test!
Help me write my first Ebook!
Story #1 of 30
The story that gets the most claps in the next 30 days will be the central theme for my first Ebook. Clap away!
Matt Mattson
