Fear of Not Trying: Your Unexpected Superpower

0:00On this episode of The Big Success Show, Fear of Not Trying, Your Unexpected Superpower. Big Success with the Professor and Mary Lynn. Fear. It's that heavy feeling that makes us want to pull back and stay where it's safe. You know the kind we're talking about, Fear of Failure, Fear of Judgment, Fear of Looking Foolish, and Fear of Success, which we talked about last time in episode 1196. So let's flip the script. Fear isn't always the enemy, it's because there's another kind of fear. A better kind, a stronger kind. It's the fear of getting to the end of your life and asking, what if I had tried? What if I had only tried? Yeah, you got it, that fear, the fear of not trying. Welcome to The Big Success Show, where we hope you create the life you want. Hi, Mary Lynn. I'm George the Professor, now the fear of not trying isn't your usual fear.

1:00This fear is rocket fuel for your journey to big success. And if you learn how to use it, it will propel you toward the life you were meant to live. In this episode, we're going to explore the real cost of not trying. Two fears you must choose between, four ways to turn fear into action, and the mindset shift that changes everything. Let's start with a question for you, Professor. What's the cost of not trying? Well, when you dig down really deep on this subject, you realize the real cost isn't failure. It's in action. Most people aren't stuck because they're incapable. They're stuck because they're comfortable. Oh, you know, that's such a good point, because comfort is sneaky. All right, sneaky little bugger, right? It loves to keep us where we are, and it whispers things like, well, you know what, now's not the right time. You need more preparation. Play it safe. Oh, just wait and see. And of course, in action leads to lost opportunities, and then regret.

2:00But deep down, there's another voice that speaks louder over time. If you don't try, you'll never know. You'll never know if you don't try. That voice is the positive fear, the fear of not trying. And here's what's important to know. Fear points to what matters. You don't fear things that you don't care about, right? That's right. It's starting that business that scares you, and that's because it matters. It's having that conversation that scares you because it matters, and it's chasing that dream that scares you because it's big, and it matters. The goal is not to eliminate fear. The goal is to ask, what is this fear trying to teach me? This raises a question. What are the two fears that you must choose between? Every day you're choosing between two fears. Number one is the fear of failing, and number two is the fear of not trying. One makes you want to pull back and set a stepping up. The other one stretches you. The fear of failing says, what if it doesn't work? The fear of not trying says, what if it could have worked, but I never gave it a shot.

3:04Successful people don't eliminate fear. They just choose the right one. Because the satisfaction of knowing you took a chance far outweighs the fear of possible failure. Let's make this practical. We're going to share some simple ways to use fear instead of being used by it. Here's four ways to turn fear into action. Number one, define your regret line. Ask yourself, five years from now, what will I regret more? Trying and failing, or never trying at all? Write the answer down. Regret is a great teacher, but don't wait until you're looking back to learn the lesson. Let that future regret help you make the right move today. Number two, shrink the risk, not the dream. Most people quit because the leap feels too big. So don't leap, step. It sounds easy when you see it that way, professor. Let's give some examples. All right, here's one for you. Instead of starting a business, try talking to three potential customers this week. Oh, that's good. How about this one?

4:04Instead of writing a book, try writing 300 words a day. That's taking a step instead of a leap. You're absolutely right. And here's the key is that fear shrinks when action becomes specific. It's not just that you take the action, but you are specific about what action you're going to take. You're sending yourself up to win. That's the whole goal. Four ways to turn fear into action number three is treat fear like a yellow light. Fear doesn't have to stop you in your tracks, like a stop sign, you know? Instead, we can use it as a signal to slow down and get clear. To ask yourself, what's the worst realistic outcome? What would I do if that happened? And what would I learn? Clarity kills paralysis. And the fourth way to turn fear to action is to build courage daily. Courage is more of a habit than a personality trait. So if you want it to be there when it counts, you have to practice using it every day. So, for example, have one uncomfortable conversation.

5:07Or take one visible action. Or make one small commitment that stretches you, momentum beats motivation. Let's get personal for a moment. Imagine yourself 20 years from now. You're looking back. What story do you want to tell? Do you want to be able to say, I played it safe? Or would you rather say, I gave it everything I had. The pain of failure is temporary. It's the pain of regret that lingers. I think professor, when you really get down to it, the fear of not trying is actually love. Love? Yeah, it's love in disguise. Love for your potential. Love for your calling. And love for the life that you can build. Well, that's a fear that's worth listening to. And that brings us to the professor's big assignment for this episode. So tonight, set a timer for 20 minutes, to zero 20. Answer these three questions in writing. What dream have I delayed because of fear? What dream have I delayed because of fear? What specifically am I afraid will happen?

6:10What specifically am I afraid will happen? And then the third question, what small action can I take in the next seven days? Then schedule that action, not someday. This week, this week, fear fades when action begins. And you're taking action. If you want deeper structure, map out your long term direction and break it into clear milestones. That's exactly what we walk you through inside the life map course, turning fear into forward strategy. Learn more at lifemapcourse.com. And now for this episode's big takeaway. You don't need to be fearless. You need to fear the right thing. Fear the unused talent. Fear the dream that dies quietly because you waited too long. Let that fear push you. Let it sharpen you. Let it move you. Success doesn't belong to the fearless. It belongs to the ones who were scared and moved ahead anyway. And that leads to big success. Next time we're going to talk about how to stop overthinking decisions.

7:11Ever do that? I've been guilty of it a time or two. See how a structured approach will help you make everyday decision making simple. So you can reach big success faster. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app so you don't miss it. Hey, let's get connected on social media. We're at big success and that's big with 2G's. Join our entrepreneurial mindset community and get insights in your inbox. You can join at bigsuccess.com slash join. And we thank you so much for listening. Until next time, here's to your big success. Find big success at bigsexess.com.