I am writing this article to encourage you. You have set goals for this year, put a plan in place to accomplish them, and here we are, a few months into the year and a global pandemic is staring you in the face! None of us could have predicted this, much less prepared for it. The tragic events of 9/11 undoubtedly had a huge impact on the United States. However, what we are dealing with today is impacting the lives of people all over the world. You may feel that you have lost momentum towards your business or professional goals and are wondering, “How will I recover?” I want to encourage you that although you may have seen a major setback, those goals are not lost.
FAITH VS. FEAR
In this article I am going to talk about something that is rarely mentioned in the business world, and that is the concept of: FAITH vs FEAR. Why is this important? Because although invisible, each can propel us toward our goals or away from them. Webster defines fear as “A strong unpleasant feeling caused by expecting something bad to happen.” Now if you look at that definition, there is an “expectation” or belief in something that has not yet happened and may never happen. It’s a belief in something unseen. Right now, there is a lot of information disseminated via the media that is creating fear. As a result, many people believe strongly that something negative will happen to them, whether it be sickness, loss, financial calamity, or even death. I am in no way trying to downplay the severity of our situation. I am simply pointing out that these are beliefs or expectations in things that are “not seen” and “not yet.”
NOW FAITH IS…
On the flip side, faith is defined as “A firm belief in something in which there is no proof” (also the belief in something unseen). In the case of faith, you are believing in a positive outcome. For example, you may have faith that when you are expecting a baby, that child will be born healthy or when you are filling out resumes and going on interviews, you will be successful at landing a job. These are all positive expectations or beliefs in things that are “not seen” or “not yet” as well.
Why not apply this concept to your 2020 goals? You can decide to believe that you will get through this situation and will still hit your goals. Not only will you still be on track to hit them, but you can believe that you will exceed them! The positive expectation of faith is what differentiates it from fear.
FEAR IS A DISTRACTION
You may be thinking fear has its usefulness. Besides, doesn’t fear keep us from potential harm or danger? Certainly, fear has aided humanity’s survival throughout the ages. However, as it relates to your business, it has no place. In fact, fear comes in order to distract you, and distraction is the #1 obstacle to achieving goals. I have found that when you are consumed with the news and negative outcomes, fear grows on the inside. Fear may come in one door (e.g. TV, internet, etc.) but will carry over to other areas of life. As fear grows, your eyes are on the negative outcome, and off the positive expectation. No matter how good your peripheral vision is, you cannot keep your eyes on two things at the same time.
When you set your goal at the beginning of the year, you were hopeful. That goal excited you, and you started the year very energetic. However, when fear comes in, you no longer look at that goal with the same passion. In fact, you start to think on the possibility of missing that goal, and all the negatives that come with it. You are now looking at the negative result, instead of the positive outcome.
ALLOW FAITH TO KEEP YOU FOCUSED
The good news is that you can change this dynamic for your benefit. Allow faith, the positive expectation, to keep you focused on your goals. Mankind has been through major economic and social challenges in the past. If you look at your own personal life, your business or family life, I am sure you have had to overcome trying times as well. Today, you can talk about those times and recognize that you’re still here! Since you have overcome challenges in the past, have faith that you will not only get through this situation, but once the “smoke clears”, you will accelerate.
So, what I encourage you to do during this time (and what I’m doing personally) is take a good look at the goals you set in December or January and focus on them. Keep your eyes on that target, knowing that you can still hit it. You still have plenty of time, so do not be discouraged. Maintain that positive expectation, and that faith will keep you focused during a time of immense uncertainty and distraction. Let this message encourage you. Keep going, keep that goal in front of you and win. You can do it!