What holds you back is success?

Does it occur that, while you want something, at the same time you feel something is holding you back?

Well, clearly it might be fear of failing.

Who doesn't experience that?

But I want to address another fear we may have when it comes to our business or career success.

The fear of succeeding.

It is harder to spot but it shows up with these thoughts and doubts:

• What if succeed and I will have too much work to handle and then I will not be able to provide the same quality service/project to my clients and I will start being late?
• If I succeed I will have less time for my family or friends
• If I succeed I will become a greedy person like other successful ones
• If I succeed people will be envious and look for my money and I want to be loved for who I am, not what I have
• If I succeed, I'll buy this and this and this, my home will be like that ...but it's dangerous, I will have to put burglar alarms and pay attention
• If I succeed I will have to put more energy to hide to people that I am not as skilled as they think
• What if I succeed and then realize that this business, this career is not what I really want?

And then our brain starts imagining catastrophic scenarios, burning out scenarios, isolation scenarios.

Would you want to succeed and be in any of these situations?

I guess not.

That's why the most reasonable thing for your brain would be to hold back, to sabotage what you may be trying to achieve.

Recently, while doing meditation, a memory came back.

I believe I was around ten years old and I was chosen for a class play for the role of a waitress of the nineteenth century.

The role was of a dumb waitress, it was quite funny and I enjoyed the preparation, I liked the theatre, I was good with gestures and expressions required to make it funny.

I remember coming on the stage in costume, all the lights on stage, I could not see the parents who were in the dark.

At the exact moment I made my entrance, the room started to laugh.

It was a laugh of success, the entrance was thought to be funny and it was indeed.

This laugh was like a giant clapping of hands.

I was the centre of everyone's attention.

Even if I was a shy silent student.

But after the first second of pleasure of the comedian on stage, an unexpected thought stroke me "What if they are not laughing at the role, but of me? That's not the success I want".

I played the role till the end, the class play went fine, everyone was happy.

But the fear of succeeding on the wrong path had arisen.

I did not want any other funny dumb role, even if it was easy.

I wanted to be taken seriously.

I could be a comedian but no thank you.

I didn't embrace either my sense of humour.

I hold back.

But you know what?

If I hadn't succeeded to make the room laugh at my entrance, if my entrance had fallen flat, I would not have this one-second glory of the comedian.

I would not know so clearly what my fears were.

But these fears would still be there.

The fear to be seen and judged while succeeding in what you are doing.

The fear of succeeding in what comes easy because success should be hard work.

The fear of succeeding and then finding that's not what you want.

What are you afraid of, when it comes to your business, your career, and your life goals?

If you ask yourself this question, you will be able to unfold some fears of failing or of succeeding.

And then deal with them.

Solving them.

Instead of just holding back.

Let me know if you have faced the fear of succeeding and how you deal with it.

And if you want help to unfold that, you can send a private message on Linkedin and ask for an introductory call or head here.

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You may want to listen to what we have been sharing in the episode about mindset for sales: "Success, a full cup"