Overcome the Most Powerful Force Stopping You - the Fear of Unknown
January 1, 2023
You've heard the saying, the first step is the hardest. Learn why that is and how to keep it from stopping you.
Hey, welcome back to the internal journey, I'm you're host Kam Knight, author of numerous best selling book in the area of human performance.
Hope you enjoyed the holidays and had a great end to 2022.
Every new year, I send a newsletter with a killer tip to help you start the year on the right foot.
It's a newsletter I don't spend a lot of time writing.
That's because the tip I offer is the same every year
It's a tip an old friend once gave - over 25 years ago.
He said:To improve chance of achieving a new year goal or resolution, make sure to work on it the first day of the year.
I’ve done this year after year and it works!
Not only does it work, but amazingly well.
It works so well because it encourages you to take the hardest step, the first step.
There is a reason why the first step is so difficult.
The reason is the Fear of Unknown
The fear of unknown is the fear of not knowing what will happen.
It is one of the most influential force holding you back in life!
Few forces in life are stronger.
That's because we live in a world where the slightest brush with reality can end our life
- Take a hard fall, and that’s it.
- Get into a car accident, game over.
- Catch a serious disease, days are numbered.
Do you know the story of Alexander the Great?
Considered the greatest military genius of the ancient world, he was so strong and powerful, no one could defeat him.
Yet, he died at 32 by a bacteria so small we can't see it.
We are fragile organisms in a world of threats, and those threats can jump out of anywhere.
Therefore, anytime we do anything new, the mind triggers the fear of unknown
Even if the venture is as minor as trying a new restaurant or visiting a new store, the fear will arise.
If the fear is strong enough, it will prevent you from moving ahead.
The fear of the unknown will also prevent you from moving ahead on a goal.
That’s because the mind doesn’t know what could happen
You might get injured, laughed at, find yourself in a difficult situation, waste time, lose money, upset a loved one.
A million and one things can happen!
Instead of taking a chance on any one, the mind will drive you to stick with the familiar, even if the familiar is boring, painful, and intolerable.
The mind is designed to choose familiar over fun, pleasure, and joy.
However, if you can stop whatever you’re doing on new year’s day and call up whatever willpower, strength, and energy you need to take action, you get yourself to take that difficult first step
And the mind will realize, "oh this isn’t so bad, I didn’t get laughed at for entering my first gym, I didn’t die trying this new thing, or this wasn’t as bad as I imagined."
Once that happens, it’ll be easy to take the second step.
And the one after that.
However without the first step, there are no other steps. They aren’t possible, no matter how strong the desire.
Whatever your resolutions may be, try your hardest and darndest to start today
Do something to take the first step.
The step can be anything.
You’ll find it’s not as scary or difficult as you imagine, and even wonder why you didn’t start sooner.
1. So, what is your new year goal?
2. What is the one thing you can do to start?
3. Now do your darndest to do that today!
Happy New Years!
Looking forward to taking you on a new year of growth filled journey, so please make sure to like, subscribe, and leave a comment.
Hope you enjoyed the holidays and had a great end to 2022.
Every new year, I send a newsletter with a killer tip to help you start the year on the right foot.
It's a newsletter I don't spend a lot of time writing.
That's because the tip I offer is the same every year
It's a tip an old friend once gave - over 25 years ago.
He said:To improve chance of achieving a new year goal or resolution, make sure to work on it the first day of the year.
I’ve done this year after year and it works!
Not only does it work, but amazingly well.
It works so well because it encourages you to take the hardest step, the first step.
There is a reason why the first step is so difficult.
The reason is the Fear of Unknown
The fear of unknown is the fear of not knowing what will happen.
It is one of the most influential force holding you back in life!
Few forces in life are stronger.
That's because we live in a world where the slightest brush with reality can end our life
- Take a hard fall, and that’s it.
- Get into a car accident, game over.
- Catch a serious disease, days are numbered.
Do you know the story of Alexander the Great?
Considered the greatest military genius of the ancient world, he was so strong and powerful, no one could defeat him.
Yet, he died at 32 by a bacteria so small we can't see it.
We are fragile organisms in a world of threats, and those threats can jump out of anywhere.
Therefore, anytime we do anything new, the mind triggers the fear of unknown
Even if the venture is as minor as trying a new restaurant or visiting a new store, the fear will arise.
If the fear is strong enough, it will prevent you from moving ahead.
The fear of the unknown will also prevent you from moving ahead on a goal.
That’s because the mind doesn’t know what could happen
You might get injured, laughed at, find yourself in a difficult situation, waste time, lose money, upset a loved one.
A million and one things can happen!
Instead of taking a chance on any one, the mind will drive you to stick with the familiar, even if the familiar is boring, painful, and intolerable.
The mind is designed to choose familiar over fun, pleasure, and joy.
However, if you can stop whatever you’re doing on new year’s day and call up whatever willpower, strength, and energy you need to take action, you get yourself to take that difficult first step
And the mind will realize, "oh this isn’t so bad, I didn’t get laughed at for entering my first gym, I didn’t die trying this new thing, or this wasn’t as bad as I imagined."
Once that happens, it’ll be easy to take the second step.
And the one after that.
However without the first step, there are no other steps. They aren’t possible, no matter how strong the desire.
Whatever your resolutions may be, try your hardest and darndest to start today
Do something to take the first step.
The step can be anything.
You’ll find it’s not as scary or difficult as you imagine, and even wonder why you didn’t start sooner.
1. So, what is your new year goal?
2. What is the one thing you can do to start?
3. Now do your darndest to do that today!
Happy New Years!
Looking forward to taking you on a new year of growth filled journey, so please make sure to like, subscribe, and leave a comment.