Could there be a reason your idea is still on a back burner? Could it be the same reason we stay at a job until redundancy strikes and forces us into a state of panic?  

The same reason many concepts do not grow as they could over the years. The feeling that is holding many people back from fulfilling their real potential, could be affecting you too.

What could it be? It is a phobia; that emotion that has the habit of popping up when we want to step out of our comfort zone.  

Here are five phobias that are hurting your true potential:

1. The fear of failure

A common phobia, I am sure even the most successful people have the same feeling at one point in their lives.

It is natural to want to stay in your comfort zone where everything is almost predictable. However, to be successful you have to push outside of this zone and stretch your faith into the unknown.

The only way you can get over the fear of failure is to face the task squarely in the face and just do it. Watch a baby take his first step, isn’t it amazing how he totters along with faith in his unsteady steps until he finally gets it right? It should be the same thing with you too. You may not get it right the first time, but you will learn valuable lessons along the way that will help you get it right eventually.

Start with baby steps so you can comfortably step into your stretch zone. The best way to conquer your fear of failure is to take action.

“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead-end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” – Denis Waitley

2. The stretch zone phobia

A comfortable position is great and at certain times in our lives, we all crave that warm, cosy feeling knowing that everything is well with the world. Nevertheless, those who excel in their chosen field understand that nothing grows in the comfort zone.

To reach your true potential and do something phenomenal, will require some commitment and a stretch from you. You may have to stay up late, talk to people you prefer not to, make some phone calls or network with strangers to push your idea forward. Seems daunting, yes, but I promise it is always worth it.

3. Time phobia

Are you always afraid of time running out, thinking you will never have enough to do all the things you want to do in life?

The problem is usually not lack of time but a lack of scheduled priorities. At any given time in our lives, every task will fight for dominance – this includes sleeping. When we shift our chores around like musical chairs, we end up losing focus and put ourselves under undue pressure.  

Once you accept that you are in control of your time, your schedule becomes yours to manage. You stop allowing people to dump their excesses on you and start taking control of your day.

The choice of what you do every day is yours. If you want to use a portion of your time to grow your passion, passive income streams or business, so be it. Make your schedule work for you and not against you.

4. Fear of people’s thoughts

It happens to confident people too, so you are no exception – concern for the thought of what people might think if you take that step. I came to the realization many years ago that there will always be people standing with you and some against you. You cannot allow other people’s thoughts to determine your destiny.

Find clarity for what you want to do with your life before you take action. You can achieve this through coaching, support or talking to friends and family. The ultimate decision of what you want to do must come from your intuition.

5. Fear of the future

The future will come to us whether we want it or not. What you should be thinking about is what you want to be doing when it comes. If fear is holding you back from taking a step into a better future, adopt a realistic view of what the delay is costing you now and what it might cost in the future.

“Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.” – Dorothy Thompson

The first step to overcoming your phobias is a mindset shift. A change in your mindset will make a remarkable difference to the goals you will achieve in life. If one or more of these phobias plague your life on a consistent basis, it is time to take charge and boot them out.

If you need counselling or coaching, by all means take the opportunity. Take one-step at a time and leave no room for fear to take control of your life.

What is your phobia? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!