subject: Is Fear Stopping You From Filling Your Practice With Your Ideal Clients? [print this page] At its best, fear is an instinctive, natural ability to help us survive. At its worst, it's that nagging voice inside our heads that heralds doom and disaster even before we get started on something. Fear keeps us from taking risks that might enrich our life or holds us back from doing some things we need to do.
Accomplish something really great? Fear says, "Not on your life." And sometimes fear comes to the forefront when you want to expand your business, find more clients and fill up your practice. To discover the role fear plays in your business and your life, complete the following quiz.
True or False 1) My self-talk is filled with can'ts, shouldn'ts and ought-tos. 2) I tend to need approval from peers before going after dreams and goals. 3) I'd rather just stick to what I know, even if it's not great, than risk change. 4) To avoid being rejected, I try to please people and take my own needs and desires out of the equation.
If you answered true more than false in the first set of questions, fear may be playing a bigger role in your life than you'd like.
True or False 1) I expand my comfort zone by taking a small risk every day, such as making one phone call or asking for one thing I want. 2) I look to others to model courage for me. Their courageous behavior encourages confidence. 3) I visualize myself doing what I'm afraid to do; I see myself as graceful, strong and capable.
If you had more trues in this set of questions, it means you're successfully employing strategies to master fear.
Mental confidence is the key to learning new skills. Try one small risk today and believe in yourself. By learning to be fearless, it is easier to fill your practice with your ideal clients. Fear just gets in the way of success. Take baby steps but take them! A good way t do this is to repeat a mantra before doing your small risk baby step. Try a mantra like, "I am an expert in my field and I am offering a valuable service to this potential client". Then visualize the prospective clients as saying "Yes" to your offer. Take several deep breaths before you pick up the phone or enter the meeting room. By preparing yourself and putting yourself in a positive frame of mind, the results will be just what you wanted!
