You can buy t-shirts and mugs and of course there is even a hashtag for Do something every day that scares you. I want no part of that!
Sometimes I wonder if everyone who buys into this philosophy has ever been really scared before? And if they have been really scared what on earth was so attractive? The racing heart, the sweating palms, the ability to not think clearly, being dictated to by adrenaline? Which one of those feelings is your favourite?
Ok, I get it – the cliché is meant to be a motivator but fear is not my motivator.
In fact, I think a good chunk of what is wrong in the world is because we are letting fear guide our decisions. Really important decisions. Fear based politics is having a disastrous effect! I guess that could be a whole other blog!
Let’s get back to business.
Fear based marketing – it works. But it is not sustainable. And besides is that really how you want your customer to feel when they buy your product – afraid that if they don’t buy it some disaster will strike them?
What about your team – do you want your team operating under a veil of fear, because its motivating? Where is the logic in that?
So what if … rather than doing something every day that scares you that instead … you do something every day that brings you joy and helps someone else. Full heart, open mind, focused and in the zone. Does that not sound more enticing than a fear-based motivator?
When we do our genius work – when you feel totally in the zone our heart rate drops, our blood pressure drops, our ideas flow. We are not fighting with ourselves, we are not conquering. It is so much more important than conquering! When we are doing our best work – the work we are meant to do, it is actually easier for our brain. We are more efficient; focus is effortless. We are not concerned about outcome or what others might think of our work. The ego evaporates. There is a quieting of our minds, fear is not driving the car.
What we do best comes more easily to us which makes it easier for us to discount our abilities and say “oh that was nothing”. That can make it hard for us to see what we are best at. We all have something that is easier for us to do, that comes more naturally, and gives us energy rather than takes energy – that is our genius work.
To get to this state takes confidence, and practice.
And it’s fun.
We can’t always be in the zone; some tasks have to be accomplished that are not our genius work. But we can be mindful of managing the percentages. So that more of work falls into the “gives us energy” category than the “takes energy” category
Flow begets flow. When you are lost in the moment, the moment finds you. A study done by Miriam Mosing a neuroscientist at the Karolinska Institute believes that those who spend more time working in the zone maybe also be protecting their own mental health. Her findings indicate that there is a protective effect to the brain when we are in flow. The same cannot be said about the effects of fear.
So, ditch fear.
With a full heart, embrace your genius work. What you do best. That’s what the world needs now!
