Follow Your Fears and Reach Your Dreams

By C.J. Copley Not something we grow up hearing on a regular basis. Think about it. Who in your life hears about what makes you uncomfortable or scarred and suggests – do more of that. How long would you hang around that person? Example, say you are scared of spiders and you share this fear with some of your friends, who say you should hang out with spiders more often and conquer that fear? If you have someone in your life that is strong enough to tell you that, consider yourself blessed. However, it’s not something most of us want to hear or would want to be told. Think about something you conquered that you were fearful of, how did you feel? Most would say they felt euphoric, empowered, or confident. Why? Because you grew. You stretched your boundaries because you followed your fear and learned that while you thought it just might “kill” you, it didn’t. You’re alive and survived. Now, try applying this to your profession. “Fear” might be too strong of a word, so let’s use “uncomfortable” or fear. This fear in the workplace can be traced back to simply not having the skills for the task that feels uncomfortable. Guess what? That’s fair! Why should you feel comfortable when asked to do something that requires skills you need to develop? If someone asked me to fly a plane today, I would be afraid. I don’t have a license. I don’t have the skills! I could learn them and become a pilot, however. There is a process to developing skills of any kind and that process starts with practice. Let’s use talking to customers as an example. This may be a huge fear for someone that has little experience. Why? That person would tell you it’s because they’re “not good at talking to customers” or they’re afraid to say the wrong thing or to “mess up.” Without the skills, that’s true, but without the practice, this will never change. All masters admit to once being disasters because they know you can’t be a “master” without first being a “disaster.” People in roles for years and years have over 10,000 hours of “practice” or experience. All of them started the same way, with practice. Leaders choose growth as an intentional and focused practice. Growth occurs by developing existing skills and learning new ones. Growth rarely happens by accident and for those looking to take the first step, ask yourself, what parts of your life make you feel fear? Lean into that fear and let the process show you where you can grow! For those following the Golden path, inevitably, you will find places of fear and discomfort. You’re outside of your comfort zone. You’re redefining your path and set the course for your future. We salute you and commit to being here to support your journey on the Golden path!   C.J. Copley is the Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Golden.