ECCLESIASTES 3:1
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.
My fear of failure was starting to become the only constant thing in my journey. Let me tell you this journey away from the bedside has been full of highs and lows. Lately it seems as though I have been experiencing more lows than anything else. Right when I discovered something that worked it suddenly stopped producing the results I wanted to see.
The more I failed my fear of failure intensified. That fear almost derailed my hopes and dreams until the Holy Spirit led me to apply my process to my current situation. Then I finally gained the strength I needed to speak to my fears instead of letting them run the show.
My Fear of Failure
After almost two decades of nursing, it’s difficult to say I fear anything outside of God at this point. But my fear of failure was causing me to behave in ways that were leading me to failure. My top 3 fears were:
- Failing God and not fulfilling all that He has called me to do.
- Failing my boys by not experiencing any success after all my hard work and dedication.
- I feared that my vision would always remain my vision that no one else would ever see it become a reality, including myself.
I wanted to see, do, and become everything that God has called me to be, so I got to work. Being of self-proclaimed, “Queen of Multitasking”, I went after God’s plans for my life just like I did everything else. I set up a schedule to work on all my projects at once. There was no way you could convince me that I was not going to win.
Multitasking has always worked for me in the past, but this was different. I was not getting anywhere. Constantly shifting gears was taking a toll on my creativity and my journey came to a complete stop. My fears were telling me to give up, but the only thing that kept me going was knowing that God gave me His word and His word always comes to be. I vowed to God to never give up.
Nothing Was Working
The problem was I had a lovely schedule, but I did not have a plan. Week after week I was unsure about the content I would share on social media or to blog about. My direction was constantly changing. I could not figure out how I could be successful in 3 different nursing programs but writing my passion had become a struggle. I needed a plan.
After leaving home at 17, a senior in high school I knew I needed a plan to graduate and to support myself. I created a plan I call “The Process” to make my situation work. Failure was not an option for me. After creating and applying “The Process” to my life I was successful in graduating and I have applied it tons of times over the years, so I decided to apply it to my vision.
Trust the Process
The Process includes 8 steps to help you reach your desired outcome.
- Discovery Time: Identifying Your Desired Outcome
My desired outcome for my life has always been to help others heal and live their best lives. This was the reason I became a nurse. When you are searching for your desired outcome for your life make sure that it connects with your soul. I believe that when we live to seek our true desires we are in alignment with God’s plans for our lives. Plus, if you have no idea where you are going you will never figure out how to get there.
- Research Time:
Once you know your desired outcome you need to research the requirements to get you there. After you understand the requirements ask yourself what resources you currently have that are going to help you get to your desired outcome. This allows you to focus on your strengths instead of your weaknesses when you are getting started. I made a list of everything that could help make my vision my new reality. Then I was on to the next step. Ex: your skill set, your education, a natural talent.
- Preparation Time:
It is time to create your plan to success. From the research I collected I created a plan including all the steps I needed to take to get to my desired outcome. Then I broke those steps down into several tasks I could complete over time. Make sure your plan fits your life, this will increase your chances of success.
- Application Time:
Knowing your desired outcome, having the knowledge and a plan of what it takes to get there, is nothing without application. You have your plan, now it is time to walk that thing out, without any excuses. Before bed I would review every task, I needed to complete the next day, my household duties, and appointments. Then I would visualize myself completing them and the next day usually went exactly as I visualized.
- Sacrifice Time:
When we start a new plan, we are usually extremely focused on our desired outcome. But as time goes on our progress often slows down. In this step I encourage you to look around and identify anything in your environment that is slowing down your progress. After you have identified your distractions it is time to sacrifice them. It maybe watching too much tv, too much social media time, or a full social life. You may decide to reduce the amount of time you spend doing these things or you can cut them out completely. I am a firm believer if you don’t sacrifice for your dreams, you will sacrifice your dreams. Make the cut and move on to the next step.
- Evaluation Time:
Now that you have been walking this thing out for a while you need to check your progress. You never want to stick to plans that you realize are not working for you. Modify or delete things in your plan that no longer apply as needed. Then continue to move forward towards your desired outcome. You can revisit this step as needed. Remember there are no losses if you are constantly learning, knowledge is power.
- Celebration Time:
This is a step that I absolutely love, who does not love to celebrate themselves? In the past I would wait until I reached the outcome before I would celebrate. But I have learned that celebrating your milestones gives you the added confidence you need to keep pushing forward. Identify at least 5 milestones you will celebrate along your journey and celebrate them. Continue to do this until you reach your desired outcome. Then on to the final step.
- What’s Your Next Step:
What are some dreams that the fear of failure has prevented you from completing? Ask yourself “do I want it bad enough” and “why do I want it”. If you answered yes and know your why; start your process towards making your vision your new reality, TODAY!
I know many of you are thinking, final step what?, I have already reached my desired outcome. After we have accomplished our goals, we feel like we are on fire and unstoppable. I believe that this is the perfect time to set your next goal. It is easier to stay burning while you are already on fire. Restarting is always harder when you have come to a complete stop and gotten cold. So, take this time to plan out your next victory. NEVER STOP EVOLVING.
My journey continues…
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