We all get stuck or paralyzed when we 're
on the verge of doing something big that takes us beyond our comfort
zone.
You might have felt his way when you were about to do something like
making a call to an important prospect, preparing for a key
meeting, or making the transition to starting your own business
or changing careers. This dynamic often presents itself whenever
we're about to do something where the stakes are high. It's a
"no-brainer" that you need to take action in these areas, but you find
yourself cleaning your desk or tending to some other low-risk activity
instead.
An effective technique to battle against this
avoidance behavior is what I call the "Worst-Case Scenario" technique
("WSC"). This approach will seem counterintuitive, much like when
driving in the snow, you're taught to turn into the skid. But all
I can say is that it works...and very effectively.
Here's the basic step-by-step recipe:
1. Notice when you're stuck.
The first step is to be aware when you're stuck.
This may seem obvious, but usually in these situations there's a short
period of denial before we admit we're really avoiding this
activity. One classic example is that we always seem too busy to
get to this really important action. For a while we successfully
justify putting it off. Eventually, if we're honest with
ourselves, we realize that we're stuck.
2. Identify the associated feelings and
thoughts.
We can confirm we're stuck by examining the feelings
and thoughts we experience whenever we think about doing the
task. Feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, nervousness, or fear are
telltale signs that you are stuck. We all desire to avoid these
feelings and will even unconsciously take steps to do so.
3. Ask, "What's the worst that can
happen?"
Most people want to avoid thinking about the answer to
this question. Therein lies the
problem! You see, what we avoid has power over us.
So the answer is NOT to avoid thinking about the doomsday
scenario.
4. Go there and take it deeper.
This is the challenging part. Not
only do you want to think about the WSC, but you want to vividly
imagine it and LIVE there! Play the whole scenario out, feel the
sense of failure or dread to the fullest extent you can. If the
intensity of the pain feels like a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10,
take it to a 12! The key is to not avoid your worst fear -
instead pursue it with vigor.
5. Stay with it until you notice "the
shift"
At this point you may be thinking "Dave, you're really
sadistic!" But I promise you that if you play full out with this,
what will occur is a major shift in your thinking. Suddenly,
failure isn't such a bad thing. You can handle it, you will
survive.
It's critical that you stay with the WCS until you
feel this shift. The shift is the emotional place where your WCS
no longer has power over you. Now you can pursue your high-stake
business or career-building action with courage and excitement.
Going through this exercise isn't always so
dramatic. It can be as easy as asking yourself, "What's the worst
that can happen? Can I live with that?" The answer is
almost always an emphatic, "Yes". Then you can freely move
forward.
I invite you to experiment with this technique and
notice how it works for you. I'd love to hear any feedback on
what you discovered. Just reply be e-mail with your feedback.
