Fear of Failure – Unblock Results

business owners, confidence, decision making, EFT, entrepreneurs, Fear of Failure, Goals, growth, Happiness, Inability to Focus, keeping energy up, mental blocks, money, professional image, Profitability, self image, self-confidence, self-sabotage, Stress Relief Tips, tapping

Is Worry Getting In the Way of Your Abundance?

A client asked me to create a tap-along video for her to take her from worrying about money to feeling confident that plenty is already on its way.

Watch the video to hear more.

If you’re into Law of Attraction (as my client is), you know that worrying about something can slow down the arrival of what you want. So it takes longer to bring in the money you’re hoping for.

Worse, your worry may actually make that thing you’re worried about happen.

That means worrying about not having enough money may lead to not having enough money.

So by all means stop worrying about it!

But even if you’re not buying this manifesting-what-you-want-or-don’t-want-by-how-you-feel malarkey (as critics might say), there are still a couple of really good reasons to let go of any worrying about finances you’re doing. Especially if you’re a business owner.

First, that worry will pull your focus and energy off of actions that will bring in the cash. That can definitely slow down your income. (A bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy there.)

Second, worrying makes you less…attractive…to potential clients and customers.

Think about it. When you see someone under a cloud of worry, does that inspire confidence in you? Do you want to work with them? Buy from them?

Didn’t think so.

So when you’re worrying, you’re not showing up at your best, and probably costing yourself some money that way.

What’s the answer?

Easy.

Stop worrying about money.

Maybe that doesn’t sound so easy when the bills are piling up. But you can do it with some Tapping.

Here’s a pattern I often use to lower clients’ money worries: start tapping while saying all the things you’re worried about.

Not selling enough programs. Not being able to pay your team. Having to go live under a bridge. That sort of thing.

Then (still tapping) remind yourself of all the times you’ve gotten out of difficult situations. All the times money has shown up when you needed it. How you survived even when it didn’t. (You must have, right? You’re still standing!)

At this point clients often get a feeling that God/Goddess/the Universe/their Higher Selves are looking out for them. Even when money is tight.

Tap on that, too.

Tapping in this pattern gets Worry to loosen up so you can put your focus and energy on things you can do that are muuuuuuch more productive than biting your nails.

If you’d like some help lowering your own worries—whether about money or about something else—so you can grow your business, just email me. We’ll set up a time to talk about what’s going on with you and if tapping can help.

Happy Tapping!

—Nancy

business owners, confidence, decision making, EFT, Enthusiasm, entrepreneurs, Fear of Failure, Goals, growth, mental blocks, Mindset, procrastination, self-confidence, self-sabotage, tapping

Do You Have an Itty Bitty S—— Committee?

“Ivy” came to me to get rid of her Itty Bitty Shitty Committee.

Her fractional CFO business was doing fine, but knew she could do much more if she didn’t have to spend time dealing with the negative messages in her head whenever she thought about growing it.

Her Itty Bitty Shitty Committee told her she was wasting her time creating a new program—no one would want it. Even though clients had been asking for it.

It tried to convince her she really wasn’t good enough to have a successful business. Even though she already had one.

It scoffed at her goals to work with bigger companies as “totally unrealistic.” Even though her contacts in those companies had invited her to send them proposals.

Her committee was so loud, she found herself spending a lot of time going out in nature, just to get a break.

Sound familiar?

Here’s how we got rid of Ivy’s Itty Bitty Shitty Committee:

Itty Bitty Shitty Committees slow down and stop a lot of women entrepreneurs from things like—

Starting a business.
Offering a new product.
Marketing their business
Asking for more money.

Even really successful women have Itty Bitty Shitty Committees. I know because I’ve worked with many of them—just like Ivy.

Using Tapping, Ivy gave her Committee the pink slip.

When she’d sent those negative voices packing, it was blessedly quiet in her head.

She could finally grow her business the way she wanted, without all the back-talk.

If you have a Committee of your own shouting you down whenever you try to move forward, I have something for you.

I made a tap-along video to help you fire your own Itty Bitty Shitty Committee.

Go to https://UnblockResults.com/qz.Take the quiz to find out where your Committee is causing you the most trouble. Or you can skip the quiz and go straight to the videos.

Tap along with the Mindset Video to see yourself as capable of—and deserving—bigger success. And fire your Itty Bitty Shitty Committee.

Then you won’t have to manage those negative messages from your own Committee.

So go ahead. Give your Itty Bitty Shitty Committee the pink slip!

Until next time…

Happy Tapping!

—Nancy

business owners, confidence, EFT, entrepreneurs, Fear of Failure, Goals, mental blocks, mistakes, procrastination, self-confidence, self-sabotage, tapping

Fear of Screwing Up

Is fear of screwing up holding you back?

It was holding my client back in spite of her already being really, really successful.

She’s known around the world in her field and has been featured on international stages.

International!

Yet the fear of making a mistake had her refusing to let her talks be recorded. Keeping her playing smaller than she could.

She was afraid of making a mistake and having it out in the world. Forever.

And she was days away from having her presentation recorded.

She’d committed.

No backing out.

And she was scared of screwing it up.

Watch the video to hear more.

(Spoiler alert: she did great!)

If you have a fear of screwing something up—like posting a video or doing some public speaking (which is America’s biggest phobia, by the way)—you’ve probably heard that the way to get past it is to just do the thing. Whatever it is.

Because then you’ll realize it wasn’t so terrible and you won’t be as afraid the next time.

Good advice.

And if you can just do that, then go for it!

But if you can’t just make yourself do the thing—if you’re toooooo afraid to push through—then use some tapping.

Tapping can make all the difference. (I’ve seen that happen over and over.)

Because when you’ve tapped down your fear of screwing up, you can just get out there and do the thing.

Whatever it is.

Screwing up doesn’t seem like such a big deal after all.

You’ll start thinking “If I make a mistake, so what?!”

“People need me to get out there.”

“Even if I make mistakes along the way.”

So let’s get you out there in a bigger way, helping those you’re here to reach.

Don’t let fear of screwing up get in your way.

Happy Tapping!

—Nancy

business owners, EFT, entrepreneurs, Fear of Failure, Goals, keeping energy up, mental blocks, money, procrastination, self-confidence, self-sabotage, stress, tapping

What the News Is Doing To Your Old Money Stories

Have you noticed how all the bad economic news has activated you these days? My clients and I definitely have!

All the big lay-offs, so many small businesses going under, a tidal wave of unemployment—it’s bringing up a lot of fear and feelings of lack. And it’s activating old money stories.

When that happens, our negative feelings start running the show, affecting how we show up, what we do (or don’t do), and basically messing with our finances.

I go into more detail here.

Maybe you have one or more old money stories that is getting triggered now, something like:

I don’t deserve more.
Making money is too hard.
I’m no good with money.
There’s never enough.

If so, you’re probably not enjoying what you’re seeing in your financial picture.

When you’re seeing that kind of hit on your finances, one of the best things to do is to really clear out those limiting stories you have around money so you can get back in charge.

The best way to do that is with EFT—or “Tapping.”

To get some help with that, check out my Money Blocks BlockBuster Group, which is starting up again Friday, May 15, 2020. In each session we have group tapping on common money blocks as well as individual hotseats where we focus on your specific money stories so you can release and replace them.

For more information go to https://unblockresults.com/the-money-blocks-blockbuster-program/

Or just reach out to me at Nancy@UnblockResults.com. We’ll set up a call at no charge to figure out what your money story is and see if the group is right for you.

Don’t wait too long, though. There are only eight places total, and it’s already filling up. We start on Friday, May 15th—just a little over a week away. And I won’t offer another one until the Fall.

confidence, EFT, entrepreneurs, Family, Fear of Failure, gifted, giftedness, Goals, laziness, mental blocks, procrastination, self image

Is Being Gifted Holding You Back?

In the last few months I’ve stumbled across the most counterintuitive cause of procrastination you can imagine. More than half my clients have this problem. It slows them down. It gets in the way of accomplishing their goals. And it has led them to think they’re stupid. Or lazy. Or both.

The cause? Growing up gifted.

Now I truly believe everyone on the planet has gifts to share with the world. I’m not talking about that here. I’m using “gifted” in the technical sense of being really bright or having a high IQ.

You would think that someone who is gifted in that way has it easy. They get a high-paying job that funds a lavish lifestyle without even trying. They just create a brilliant business that changes the world. They easily turn their dreams into reality.

You would be wrong. Those who study the gifted have found that an extremely common outcome for gifted children is that they become underachievers as adults.

If you’re curious about why that would happen watch the video to find out one reason, and what I’ve been doing with my clients to change that outcome.

And please, please, watch the video if:
• You were formally identified as gifted as a child.
• Someone like a teacher mentioned how smart you were in a subject (which may well mean you were gifted even if you weren’t great in other subjects).
• You have a parent or sibling who was very smart (which means you very likely were too, even if something else prevented you from being identified as gifted yourself).
• You have a child you know or suspect is really bright (yep, another indication that you are probably gifted, too).

The video also recommends two resources you can check out that can help you make sense of what you went through and what you can do to achieve more in your life: sengifted.org (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted—SENG) and nwgca.org (the Northwest Gifted Child Association).

The experiences of growing up gifted often lead to conscious or subconscious beliefs that cause someone to procrastinate as an adult. And no one has to keep those beliefs. They can be changed. Watch the video to find out more.

When you’re ready to stop procrastinating and create the life you are meant to live, email me. We’ll set up a call to talk about what’s going on with you and see if I can help.

confidence, Fear of Failure, Fear of Success, laziness, mental blocks, procrastination, self-sabotage

Are You Paying for a Magic Pill?

Do you pay for expensive trainings, groups, or programs, then fail to follow through on what you learned? Or procrastinate so much you never even open them on your computer?

To others it can seem like you expect that just paying the money is a Magic Pill that will bring you whatever you want without your having to lift a finger. But that’s not what’s really going on.

There’s a reason that you get excited about those opportunities but then can’t bring yourself to take action. Watch the video to find out what’s really holding you back from taking advantage of those programs that could change your life, and what to do about it.

If you want to stop procrastinating once and for all and create the life you are meant to, email me. We’ll set up a call to talk about what’s going on with you and see if I can help.

Career Stress, Fear of Failure, Goals, mental blocks, procrastination, Stress Relief Tips, test anxiety

When You Just Can’t Bring Yourself to Take That Test

We usually think that test anxiety only affects kids. And of course it can be devastating for them.

But sometimes that test anxiety can get in the way of an adult trying to follow their dream. When it does, it can look a lot like procrastination—avoiding signing up for the test; rescheduling it over and over; putting other things over advancing your career.

That’s what happened to two of my clients. Watch the video to see how Test Procrastination affected them and what I do to get rid of it.

We can’t always leave tests behind when we grow up. If you have a case of Test Procrastination that’s keeping you from creating the life you want, don’t give up on your dream. There is a way to get rid of what has been holding you back.

Career Stress, confidence, Enthusiasm, entrepreneurs, Fear of Failure, Fear of Interviewing, Fear of Public Speaking

How to Get More Confident in 10 Minutes or Less (video)

Do you find that a case of nerves can get in the way of going after what you want sometimes? Then this week’s technique can help.

Usually I use Tapping with clients to get rid of their deep-seated blocks to creating the life they want. But it’s not the only trick I have up my sleeve!

Do this simple technique when you’re just a little nervous about something and you will feel more confident in minutes. Watch the video now:

When you’re nervous you can’t think at your best or be as convincing or appealing as you are when you are confident, whether you’re giving a presentation at work or going on a date. Try this technique out next time you’ve got a case of the jitters and see what a difference it makes.

Career Stress, confidence, decision making, Fear of Failure, mistakes, Optimism, Pessimism, Posttraumatic Growth, self image, self-sabotage

The Elements of Optimism That Can Unblock You

Last week I started a series on the practical application of Martin Seligman’s Learned Optimism to improve your results in your work. Last week in my post What Optimisim Will Get You I explained why using an optimistic approach can get you past some of your blocks and when to use it. This week I’ll explain the three elements of the optimistic explanatory style that get you motivated and energized.

Optimism as Seligman describes it is not some sort of dewy-eyed, happy-go-lucky approach to life that someone is born with. Likewise, being pessimistic does not mean going around being grouchy all the time. Instead they are ways of explaining events in your life. And since you can learn how to use an optimistic explanatory style, you can get the benefits of being an optimist even if you’ve never thought of yourself as one before. (By the way, if you think of yourself as a “realist,” you most likely use a pessimistic explanatory style more often than not.)

We will focus here on ways to get unblocked by changing how you explain to yourself why bad things happen in your job or business. Explain setbacks the wrong way and you’ll feel helpless, like it isn’t worth trying anymore, and your career or business will suffer accordingly. Explain them in the right way and you’ll bounce back quickly from the same setbacks, sometimes with more excitement and energy than ever, leading to all sorts of good results at work. So identifying when your explanations are blocking you and changing them to more motivating language are important skills to develop.

Everyone feels at least momentarily helpless in the face of a failure. The pessimist decides he is helpless and gives up. The optimist looks at the same failure and thinks of ways to limit it so he can go on to succeed. To react to a setback with optimism, you need to look at the three Ps of how you explain what happened, or your explanatory style: Permanence, Pervasiveness and Personalization.

Permanence: Temporary (Optimistic) v. Permanent (Pessimistic)

First, Permanence. An optimist thinks of a bad thing as a temporary setback, arising out of temporary conditions that will or can be changed. A pessimist believes it is something permanent that’s going to last for a long time because it was caused by traits that will not change in himself, or the economy, or in potential buyers, or in “people.” To use the optimistic approach, look for ways that a situation is temporary or the conditions for it can be changed.

Instead of thinking “No one is going to buy from my company in such a bad economy; I’m doomed,” you might think “Yes, the economy is bad right now, but it always cycles out of downturns eventually. I just need a plan for how to get through this lean patch.” Or “What can I provide that people need now because the economy is bad.”
Instead of “That was terrible. I’ll never get the hang of sales,” think “I blew that sales pitch, but I can go back over my notes and practice for the next one, and maybe get some pointers from my friend on how to handle that kind of objection.”
Instead of “My boss ignored my idea at the meeting because she doesn’t want to try anything new. I won’t bug her about it anymore,” try something like “My boss has seemed pretty out of it lately. Maybe she has too much on her plate to consider my idea right now. I can check back with her in a few weeks to see if anything has changed.”

So if you catch yourself thinking people, or situations, or even you, are “always” or “never” a certain way, and will never change, find ways to limit your conclusions. Remember: situations and people change all the time, so “always” and “never” thoughts are usually wrong on their face. Dig deeper for ways change may happen.

Pervasiveness: Specific (Optimistic) v. Universal (Pessimistic)

Next, Pervasiveness. A pessimist thinks a setback in one area means everything is going to go bad in all areas. She sees it as a universal failure. An optimist sees the setback as limited to the one event. He sees the failure as specific. Here’s how those two explanatory styles might look:

“All bosses will throw you under the bus to save their own career (so I’ll just keep my head down” v. “This boss will throw me under the bus to save his career (and I better get my resume updated)!”
“My services are worthless” v. “My services are worthless to this guy, but maybe that guy over there needs what I do right now.”
“The job market is in the tank. No one is getting hired right now. I’m never going to get an interview” v. “The overall numbers don’t look good, but my region is picking up faster than other parts of the country” or “my industry is actually growing” or “I’m not getting hired by statistics; I just need one offer from one company with one opening. There is always turnover from people retiring, moving away, or even dying. Something will open up if I just keep sending out resumes and networking.

Personalization: Externalization (Optimistic) v. Internalization (Pessimistic)

Finally, Personalization. A pessimist internalizes the cause for a failure, saying “I’m the cause of this problem” and calls themselves names (“I’m such an idiot.” “I can’t sell lemonade to people in the desert.” “I’m a total failure in this job.”) An optimist externalizes the cause, blaming outside people or forces. (“My co-workers didn’t do their homework.”)

Two things to be aware of on this last explanatory pitfall. First, it is the least important, so if you have limited time to make changes in your own explanatory style, focus on the other two. Second, and more importantly, you will not improve if you do not take responsibility for your mistakes. If you caused a problem, or were a significant reason for a failure, own that. But don’t call yourself names. Instead look at how you can change, learn or grow from what happened. That’s the optimistic and effective approach that will lead to better results in your career or business.

For the next week, pay attention to how you use the 3 Ps when something goes wrong. Do you see it as a permanent problem that is pervasive throughout all areas that is caused by your personal failings? If you find you lean toward any of those pessimistic explanations, you will want to get started on changing your explanations so you can be more effective and energized when you want.

Coming up next, I’ll detail some of Seligman’s specific techniques for changing a pessimistic explanatory style to an optimistic one.

akrasia, Career Stress, Fear of Failure, Fear of Interviewing, Fear of Success, Interview stress, Stress Relief Tips

When Fear of Interviewing Blocks Your Job Search

In the last couple of weeks three of my clients admitted that they had been avoiding looking for a new job because they were afraid of going on interviews. These clients had significant reasons to go after new jobs (e.g., financial distress, an unsupportive boss, being in the wrong industry) which they recognized, yet they were allowing their unexamined fears stop them. So we examined their fears.

Simple Interviewing Fears

“Adele” has been out of work for several years. At first it was a choice, but after her husband died it became harder to continue her same lifestyle. Lately she has found herself really pinched with unexpected health problems. She realizes she would do much better if she went back to work, she enjoys her profession, and she knows she is good at what she used to do. But in spite of all that she hasn’t been able to bring herself to look for a job.

When I asked why, she said it was because she was afraid of going on interviews. I got her to relax and think about being in an interview. Then I had her finish the sentence “The worst thing about an interview is . . . .” She surprised us both by answering “none of my clothes fit.” We had a good laugh, she said there was an easy fix to this problem and that she was ready to get started.

That wasn’t the end to the problem, though. It turns out that Adele is also afraid that she will perform badly in any tests she is given during the interview. Why? She keeps thinking of an interview she went on a few years back where she was out of practice and got so flustered when asked to perform that she couldn’t do what she had done for years. The pain and embarrassment she felt was intense. She has convinced herself that this will happen again so she avoids putting herself in any situation (such as an interview) where it might.

So what to do? First, Adele has to address the deficit in her closet by buying an outfit that feels comfortable and appropriate. Second, together we will work on that memory to take away the emotional sting. Third, Adele will look for volunteer work at an organization she respects that will allow her to practice her old skills until she feels she is ready for that interview (or gets hired by someone who observes her in action).

Fear of Failure In an Interview

Meanwhile, “Brynne” was feeling stifled by her current situation. Her boss wasn’t giving her any of the stretch projects she was seeking to grow and move up in their company. On top of that, the boss’s personal style was to mention only the mistakes, never giving recognition for Brynne’s many accomplishments. Brynne needed to move to a new position with a more compatible manager. Brynne had realized a year ago she needed that change, yet here she was with an out-of-date resume and all the excuses in the world why she couldn’t start her search now.

When pressed, she admitted the real reason she was avoiding her job search was that she was afraid of going on any interviews. So I got her to relax, then asked her to finish the same sentence I asked Adele: “The worst thing about an interview is . . . .” She thought about it and answered “I won’t be good enough and the interviewer will judge me.”

While this sounds logical, look at it more closely. Why should she care what the interviewer thinks, really? The interviewer is not going to report back to Brynne’s family, friends, or even her boss on her performance in the interview. They are not going to decide who Brynne marries, what college her children go to, or whether she gets into heaven. At most, all they do is decide whether to hire Brynne for the job or not. Big deal. Even if she really wants the offer, it will not be the end of the world if she doesn’t get it. There are other jobs out there, and Brynne (if she’s smart) wants one where they want her and she wants them. Figuring out whether there is that kind of fit is really what the interview is about. If the interviewer doesn’t want her, then — HURRAY — they’ve figured out there isn’t a fit before any harm is done.

With a little thought, Brynne agreed that it wasn’t about whether the interviewer would judge her as not good enough but whether she will judge herself as wanting. Brynne is a perfectionist, and the fear of not being perfect has been a stumbling block we’ve worked on before. Half an hour later, we’d eliminated that block to interviewing and Brynne was smiling at the thought of finding her next job. (If you have that perfectionism block, check out my earlier post on how to get past it.)

Fear of Succeeding and Getting the Job

“Clarice” was in a panic. She had done the unthinkable, applying for her dream job on a lark and suddenly finding herself scheduled to fly out for an interview. If she had thought she would actually get that far she never would have applied. What would she do if she got the job?!

First things first. We had to get her to calm down so she could actually think. I had her tap on acupressure points that work as a powerful relaxation technique. (If you want to know what they are, you can see them in this post.)

When Clarice was breathing again, I got her talking about what was so alarming. While she continued to tap, I had her start with “The worst thing about the interview is . . . ,“ and it all came out. What if she got the job? She’d have to move to a city where she didn’t know anyone, leaving behind the friends she’d made and groups she belonged to (not to mention a certain ex she still had feelings for.) And she’d have to stop playing small, doing a job that was easy and safe. She would no longer be a big fish in a small pond. She’d have to stretch and prove herself to the hiring manager, someone whose accomplishments she really admired. What if she couldn’t do the new job? And ultimately, she would have to find out if the dream she had been holding onto for so long was really what she wanted. What if she hated the work after all?

By relaxing her body while getting out all the fears she had about this job, Clarice was able to start thinking about them rationally, putting them in perspective. She didn’t completely lose her fears, but they became much more rational. She left looking calm, thoughtful, and — yes — a bit excited.

How to Lower Your Interviewing Fear

So what do you do if fear of going on an interview is stopping you from going after a new job? First of all, relax. Remember, just thinking about interviewing cannot hurt you! If you are having trouble relaxing, try the tapping exercise above or one of the techniques from this post.

When you are relaxed, finish this sentence “The worst thing about an interview is . . . .” What’s the first thing that comes to mind? Write it down. Relax again and fill in the blank again. Keep going until nothing else comes to mind. Next, go through your list one by one, keeping your body relaxed throughout.

You should notice a few things. First, usually just getting clear on what it is you are afraid of can bring your overall fear down. Second, some of those fears just won’t bother you anymore when looked at in the light of day. (Remember Adele and her interview outfit?) Finally, just staying relaxed while thinking about your fears may allow your mind to come up with ways to fix the problem. (Adele could work as a volunteer to practice her skills. Brynne doesn’t really care about the interviewer’s opinion. And Clarice can make plans to join groups where she’ll get to know people in her new town.)

So there you have it — a simple way to bring down your fear of interviewing so you can go after a job you really want.

About Nancy

Nancy Linnerooth has been helping professionals, executives and business owners for well over a decade to get rid of their internal blocks so they can meet their career and business goals.

These internal blocks often show up as repeating patterns of behavior that undercut what they’re trying to accomplish, like procrastinating; avoiding public speaking, cold calling and networking; choking in interviews; and becoming overwhelmed and losing focus.

Nancy comes to the world of coaching with a diverse background as a practicing psychotherapist of many years and a recovering attorney who got her JD from Harvard Law School. So she understands the demands of working in a high-pressured, high-stakes world.

Contact Nancy at nancy@unblockresults.com.

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