There is a truth that you must face in order to realize Next Level Achievement: your natural instinct of fear will keep you from achieving every time…if you allow it. We all have a basic fear of risks and the unknown. This response is natural, yet absolutely counterproductive to achievement.

Most of the people who fail to achieve did not fail at all. They simply allowed fear to control their thinking and quit. The fear of risk and the unknown were stronger than their desire to achieve. So how can we learn to conquer our fear? We must develop the mental toughness needed to face the challenge of your natural instinct of fear … and to win!

5 steps to mental toughness

Step #1 – Maintain positive expectancy

You must keep the vision of your desired, future achievement in the forefront of your mental focus. If you build a vision of your future that is stronger than your fears, and fill your thinking patterns with positive expectancy, you will attract to yourself that which you set out for yourself.

Step #2 – Manage your daily choices according to your goals, not your feelings

Managing consistent, positive expectancy is difficult because you never feel the same, physically or emotionally, every single day of the week. Some days you will not feel like working on your goals, but you must if you want to achieve. Your dreams for the future must be strong enough to keep you following through with those plans on a daily basis, no matter how you feel.

Step #3 – Aggressively manage your positive relationships

Your associations with others will either promote your growth or deter it. You must, therefore, foster relationships with people who inspire and influence your growth. In the same way, aggressively avoid those who impose their negative beliefs or attitudes on you.

Step #4 – Live in the moment!

Life comes to each of us one day at a time. Many people never succeed in their life plans because they are always saying, “I’ll start tomorrow.” Learn to live right now! Change your thinking about waiting and develop the attitude of urgency in applying effective actions daily.

Step #5 – Believe

Regardless of your religious or non-religious position, belief is vital in your growth and achievement, and you cannot understand belief without an understanding of faith. Do not downplay this truth – faith and belief in your potential to achieve is absolutely vital.

There will be times in your achievement journey when quitting or giving up will seem like the only alternatives. At these times, it will take the strength of your faith to prevail. You must believe that you can achieve, for it is the spark that sustains you.

The truth is, fear will never completely go away. But through vigilant practice of the steps above, you can start building up the mental toughness you need to finally put fear in its place. Don’t ever give up – you can conquer your fear…and you can achieve!

Author Bio: Inspiring genuine growth and achievement in leaders, David Byrd has 30 years of experience working with top business executives and their organizations. For more information about The Next-Level Achievement System® or David’s book, Achievement – A Proven System For Next Level Growth, visit http://www.authorsup.com/David-Byrd.

Category: Business Management
Keywords: business,achievement,positive attitude,attitude management,effective choice,awareness,habit