Do The Thing You’re Avoiding
Summary
- If you avoid things, they will control you. It's important to face what makes you uncomfortable.
- Avoiding tough conversations can hurt your relationships. Facing them can improve how you connect with others.
- Taking risks is necessary for business growth. If you avoid risks, your business could suffer.
- Failure is part of growth. If you avoid failure, you might slow down or stop growing.
- It's often scarier to not face uncomfortable things than to deal with them. The aftermath of avoidance can be much harder.
- I try to regularly ask myself what I'm avoiding and then make myself confront it. This helps me move forward.
- The things that scare us the most are often the things we need to face to make progress.
Video
How To Take Action
I would suggest implementing a habit of confronting what makes you feel uneasy. Begin by making a simple list of things or situations you're avoiding. Look at it regularly and commit to addressing one item at a time. This doesn’t need to be about big changes—small steps can make a big impact.
Another way of doing this is by addressing any tough conversations you might be avoiding. Start with one person and plan a time to talk. Facing these discussions can really help improve your relationships and give you more confidence moving forward.
In business, it's important to start taking small, calculated risks. You don't need to gamble everything, but pick one area where you can push the boundary a bit. This could mean trying a new marketing tactic or exploring a different customer segment. The goal is to step out of your comfort zone incrementally.
For personal growth, view failures as stepping stones. Instead of seeing them as setbacks, celebrate them as learning experiences. Reflect on what went wrong and how you can adjust your approach next time.
Regularly ask yourself, “What am I avoiding right now?” Use this as a way to uncover fears and address them proactively. The more you confront these things, the less power they will have over you—and that's how you can grow personally and professionally.