Over and over you tell me you are afraid. Most times you don’t use that word, but it’s so palpable in your voice and wording, I can feel it.
The phone call or email goes something like this:
“Angie, my disorganization is stressing me OUT. I can’t get a handle on my inbox. My piles are overwhelming. I can’t find stuff and things are slipping between the cracks. I know X and Y are not getting done.”
The underlying issue is deeper than being disorganized. The real message is: you are afraid.
Afraid of missing out – on opportunities, clients, revenue, or information.
- You’re afraid you’re going to mess up
- Miss something important
- Disappoint a client
- Lose something truly important
The interesting thing is you are already doing those things. Some you’re conscious of, some you’re not. It’s impossible to really quantify how many times a day it happens.
This is where the fear starts.
The other interesting thing is the amount of TIME you spend worrying and being afraid without actually taking action to manage and change it.
This is where the fear takes over.
One of my most successful clients, Tom, is crystal clear on what it takes for him to be successful. He has a formula – eight meetings a week turns into eight clients a month.
This is his singular focus. If he feels fear about any part of that process, he acknowledges it, adjusts what he’s doing, and gets back to work. Eight meetings a week turns into eight clients a month.
“How does this work?” you ask. Tom’s schedule and systems are set up to maximize this singular focus. Sure, he makes time throughout his week to work on each of his Five Essential Business Systems, but this one piece is the most important. And all of his systems support that focus.
Are you that singularly focused? No? Then I would wager that your fear is keeping you fuzzy, unfocused, and stuck.
And it doesn’t have to be that way!
Seth Godin, an author I follow and learn from with a nearly religious zeal, is releasing an ebook through his Domino Project called The Flinch. It addresses this subject of fear head-on. For a short time, the Kindle version is free through Amazon. I strongly recommend you get it: