Fear in the Past, Present and Future
Fear is real and fear is powerful. It is one of the greatest single factors in preventing success at any level. It hinders players, coaches, executives, parents, teachers, politicians, etc., at all levels and in every profession. Fear goes well beyond being lost at night in a dark alley. Fear goes well beyond swimming with sharks.
Those are simply examples when fear is real and can serve as a motivator. I call this “fear in the present.” Fear that exists in either the past or future is what is so powerful. I don’t claim to have done case studies an d have a doctorate degree in the psychology of fear. I just know what is real from my life experiences as a player and coach.
In most of our lives, we do not experience many examples of “fear in the present”, because most of us are smart enough to stay out of shark infested waters! But we all experience either the power of fear in the future or the power of fear in the past {the fear of deadlines, the fear of losing, the fear of failure}.
Fear is an emotion generated from our mind. The mind is a very powerful tool that we all posses. And it develops at its greatest capacity from during ones high school and college days. It can control our actions in a very negative sense (also in a very positive sense). The negative influence of fear starts with a look into the future ~ a focus on an outcome (winning vs. losing) versus the focus on the process / journey. (Note: my success and failures have proven that fear can never serve as a motivator when the focus is on an outcome and not a process)
Fear is very evident when the objective becomes the outcome of winning. Example ~ we need to win 90 games during this season to make the playoffs. We need to win 10 out of our last 15 games to be in first place. These statements are the result of fear. And they are truly hindered by many outside factors out of the control of the individuals involved. Fear exists in every line of work, not just sports. For example, fear can become very evident when the focus is on closing X number of sales per week. Example ~ we need to close 5 deals this week. These are negative examples of how looking into the future with the emphasis on an outcome will generate a fear of failure. This is “fear in the future sense” and it takes performers out of their comfort zone where being in the moment will help achieve peak performance.
The focus on the past and the inability to change drives a fear that is also very powerful. So often, the memories of past failures cloud the ability to be in the moment and achieve peak performances. This is what I refer to as “fear in the past”. Where individuals believe that because it happen before it will automatically happen again.
When either the “fear of the past” or the “fear of the future” becomes real, the actions of those in “the heart of battle” will clearly show the power of fear. Anger and frustration sets in and every shortcoming becomes a major issue. A lack of focus and clouded mind becomes real. One missed foul shot turns into several more. The blown coverage for a first down turns into giving up the touchdown. One strikeout early in a game prevents a quality at-bat in the late innings. Shouting and panic become signs of ones thoughts being focused on a negative end result.
Ultimately, it is the ability to have a proper focus on a process that will eliminate fear! And it starts with a complete focus on oneself and the ability to take the ego away from the forefront of the situation.
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