We all worry. Some people worry too much about what others think. They spend their time with people they don’t like or avoid people because they fear any repercussions. They struggle to make decisions, even simple ones. Instead, they change their position as a response to any criticism. They hesitate to share what’s on their minds or believe others are upset with them when that isn’t true. Does any of that sound familiar to you? Then you may worry too much about what others think.

How to Stop Worrying about Others’ Opinions

Focusing on what others think can prevent you from enjoying personal and professional success. If you fall into this pit of despair, here is what you can do to turn things around:  😟 

1. Accept that people will have an opinion about you: We all make judgments. Some are correct; others are not. When you accept that people will draw conclusions, even if they are incorrect, you are in a better position to let their critiques roll off.

2. Remember that people care less about you than you think. It seems a harsh statement, but it is accurate. Most people are more concerned about their own feelings and situation than how you stumbled over your sentences during a business presentation. More than likely, they have fewer opinions of you than you realize.

3. Understand that hurt people will hurt people. Life’s circumstances affect us all and how we respond to people. Even if you try your best to be kind and considerate of others, someone will judge you. Their judgment comes from their beliefs and reflects where they are coming from. When you realize this, you gain the opportunity to become more compassionate with others.

4. Own up to mistakes but don’t live in the shame. Shame has a way of making us ignore our errors. Who wants to admit that they screwed up? However, it’s better to get the embarrassment over with than to wallow in it. Admit your mistake and get on with life.

5. Find your heroes and refer back to them. Find those people you admire who have faced and overcame similar fears, and focus on them. Learn more about how they faced down the odds and overcame the obstacles in their lives. Their inspiration can help you through your tough times.

6. Surround yourself with those that love and support you. Look around you. Who are those who see your strengths (and weaknesses) and love you just the same? Build your relationships, and if something seems a little off, don’t be afraid to ask them about it. It will help strengthen your relationship.

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Refuse to let the worry of others’ opinions stop you from the success you deserve.  

You want to be successful. You do all the ‘things’ to get there, from reading the right books to listening to self-improvement podcasts to reciting daily affirmations. But why haven’t you found success yet? What is holding you back? In a word: fear. We all face it throughout our lifetimes. Yet, some can overcome their fears and become wildly successful. Why aren’t you?

How Fear of Failure Prevents Our Success – and How to Stop It

You have to determine not to let fear hold you back for those wanting a successful career, business, family, or whatever. Here is how to recognize when you are allowing fear to have its way and how you can combat it: 

1. You lack excitement to try new things. Are you the friend who goes to the same restaurant and orders the same meal every time? Do you choose your battles so that you ensure you will always succeed? The reality is your fear of failure is holding you back. Next time, try saying ‘yes’ before letting fear take control, and then follow through. Sure, you might not like that new recipe, but there is always a chance you will. 

2. There is nothing wrong with working a nine-to-five job. It gives you a steady paycheck and consistency. The problem comes when the fear of leaving your comfort zone is too great, so you accept less than you deserve. You’ve grown complacent and will accept ‘existing’ over ‘living.’ If this is you, it’s time to have a heart-to-heart with yourself and take stock of your life. Are you happy with where you are in life? What do you want to change? Now, decide on five steps to make that change.

3. You continually make excuses. You probably have a laundry list of reasons you cannot lose weight, start a business, or reach some other goal. We all have 24 hours a day. How you spend them will make a difference in how successful you become. Try putting your phone away or turning off the television for one hour every day. Use the time to focus on your goal. Soon, your efforts will pay off.

4. You compare yourself to others’ successes and failures. Consider how you view someone who has become wildly successful. Next, think about how you react when someone fails miserably. This observation will reveal how you assess your own success. Learn from others, but focus on your internal growth while on your path to success.  

Success is a journey that will have its ups and downs, but those who overcome their fears will be the ones to attain the prize.

Do you lack confidence in yourself or your abilities? Do you feel like this holds you back from achieving the success you desire? You may be struggling with self-doubt. This nemesis of success lies in waiting to remind you that you aren’t good enough, even after reaching your goal. It wants you to quit and keep the status quo, but you don’t have to give in to your self-doubt. You can overcome it to reach anything you set your mind to.

6 Key Steps to Thwart Self-Doubt

Many suffer from Imposter Syndrome when seeking success. It can stop them in their tracks. Are you ready to kick self-doubt to the curb once and for all? Great! Here’s how you can do it:  📉 

1. Decide not to make excuses. When you start to doubt things, it is easy to give in to the emotions and rationalize why something is not working out as you planned. Look at what is happening and what you can do to change things-no more excuses. Just move forward. 

2. Give yourself the gift of self-compassion. You are your own worst critic. Instead of chastising yourself over a mistake and then letting it hold you back, change how you talk to yourself. Use affirmations to encourage yourself and overcome negative self-talk.

3. Review your previous accomplishments. Sometimes, you forget all the great things you have previously done. Remember winning the talent show? What about that promotion you worked hard to achieve? Your past accomplishments remind you of what you are capable of doing. Embrace them. Learn from them.

4. Stop playing the ‘Comparison Game.’ The easiest way to increase your self-doubt is to compare yourself to others. Everyone is on their own journey, and no two look the same. You can learn from others that may apply to your goals, but it should stop there if you want to overcome self-doubt.

5. Make a decision and jump in. Often we let doubt stop us from making a decision. If you fall into this trap, understand that not making a decision is still making a decision, even if it is living a stagnant life. Go ahead and make the decision and course-correct as needed. At least you will be making progress on your goals that lead to your success.

6. Surround yourself will supportive people. It helps to have a core group of people that help you feel good and are willing to cheer you on. The encouragement bolsters your self-confidence, which pushes self-doubt out of the way.

Kick self-doubt out of your life for good. A more confident you makes a more successful you.

Planners like to plan. It brings them comfort and helps them feel they are in control. Yet, the best-laid plans are not worth much if you never act. If you like to plan but hesitate to execute, your chances of reaching success are limited. Sure, you may finally reach your goal – someday – but you will get there faster if you stop planning and start doing. 

5 Steps Act on Your Plans  📆 

Getting stuck in the planning rut is not fun nor productive. The reasons you may do this range from fear to perfectionism. Are you ready to stop the merry-go-round of endless planning futility and make your dreams a reality? Use these steps to move from plan to action: 

1. Look at how you spend your time. If you are in the midst of planning a project, pay attention to how long you have spent preparing it. Has it been a few hours? Days? Weeks? Months? Once you know where you are spending time, you can begin the process of switching from planning to action.

2. Monitor what you consume. You need to stop consuming content at some point and start doing. It’s easy to get lost down Internet rabbit holes in your research and planning. You can alleviate any time-wasting by being intentional about what you are looking for and setting a time limit on how long you will spend doing it.

3. Accept that no plan will ever be perfect. Waiting to develop the ideal plan will leave you waiting for a very long time. Plan to the best of your abilities and then leap into implementation. Treat your plan as a roadmap to refer to, not a commandment set in stone from which you can never deviate.

4. Break big projects down to bite-sized steps. Sometimes, your plans may seem more like mountains to be scaled. That can be terrifying and stop you from taking the next step. It’s okay to take a little time and break a more extensive project into smaller steps that you can handle easily.

5. Just start. This may be the hardest step to take, but you need to at some point. When all else is done, and you have no more excuses, act. Look for what you can do in the next five minutes and do it. You will feel better, and you might feel the momentum build to take another and another. Now, you’re on your way to achieving goals and reaching success!

Remember, it’s okay to step out from behind the plans and implement them. You will gain so much more confidence when you do.  😄 

Success looks different to different people. For some, it is about having a loving family and raising children as productive members of society. For others, success is about pushing boundaries and grasping that next great adventure. However, if you are stuck and feel like you aren’t where you want to be in life, it may be because your comfort zone is a little too comfortable. There is nothing wrong with living life comfortably and within the familiar. But for those looking to become successful in their life, your comfort zone may be holding you back.

Ways Your Comfort Zones Prevents Your Success  👀

Routines bring us comfort. Comfort gives us a sense of confidence in knowing what to expect. It sounds delightful until you become bored and feel an itching to try something new. Then your comfort zone can become your biggest enemy on your path to success. Here are a few ways that staying comfortable prevents the success you desperately seek:

1. You lose who you are. Staying comfortable removes risks that help you discover your true self. How will you ever learn to overcome new challenges if you don’t take risks? Instead of giving into fear and staying safe, consider stepping out, taking the risk, and learning from the process. You may discover a whole new you lurking beneath the surface.

2. You stop learning and progressing. Our brains need stimulus to stay sharp-sharp brains aid in attaining success. Routines and comfort can stall this, making it difficult to grow and reach new personal heights. With personal growth, you increase your abilities and your chances of success.

3. You find reasons to postpone your success. Ostriches will put their head in the sand, thinking the lion cannot see them. The truth is, the lion still sees the ostrich that is now a sitting duck. When you live in your comfort zone for too long, you become like the ostrich burying its head in the face of difficulty. Success requires you to look ‘danger’ in the face and keep moving forward.

4. You lose out on new dreams. Dreaming one goal leads to dreaming more. Success lives off of the plans you come up with. Your comfort zone may leave you in a cozy haze of complacency that threatens your future happiness. You will never know what could have been if you stop dreaming.

Don’t let complacency get in the way of your dreams. It’s time to step out of your comfort zone and resume your journey to success.

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