Home
>
Success
>
Transform Your Fear Into Focus!

Transform Your Fear Into Focus!

The greatest deterrent to success in life is fear. It drains our ambition, denies us power, and strangles our ability to overcome the challenges we face in our personal and professional lives. When we let fear control us, we are destined to fail. When we control our fear and channel that energy in productive ways, we win.

Regardless if you are a manager in business, leading a team of salespeople to meet your quarterly goals, or involved in a serious relationship that is going through some tough times, we all deal with fear everyday?fear of failing to meet a deadline or a budgetary constraint, fear of letting down our co-workers or our children, or fear of rejection from a loved one. These are normal fears, but it's how you deal with them that matters.

How do you handle fear? Does fear control you, or do you control your fear? Do you become overwhelmed and give up, or do you take action and face it with courage?

As a former combat decorated Air Force fighter pilot with 65 missions in hostile territory, I had to face my fears every day?fear of getting shot down, fear of letting down my country and my wingmen, and the fear of failing to accurately perform my mission responsibilities. If I wasn't able to handle this fear and not let it control me, I would have surely failed. I had to realize that although there was no way for me to completely eliminate this fear, I still had the power to overcome it.

The key to my success was in my ability to direct my focus towards 3 distinct areas. First and foremost, I needed to focus on my mission. What was my mission objective or purpose for going into battle? Why was it important that I succeed? Who needed my help? Second, I needed to focus on my wingmen. No fighter pilot flies a combat mission solo! We always fly as a team, and we are all responsible for accomplishing the mission. In essence, we trust each other with our lives, and we need each other to achieve success. Third, I needed to focus on winning. I had to erase doubt and think positive. By 'chair flying' each mission ? mentally performing the mission perfectly in my mind before doing it for real ? I was able to experience victory, rather than failure, in my imagination. This encouraged a positive mindset of trust and confidence that ultimately gave me the power to face my fear and win.

Obviously, we are all not fighter pilots flying combat missions. However, the same lessons of focus can apply as we seek victories in our own unique experiences. Here's how you can apply these fundamental principles for overcoming fear in your personal and professional life:

? Focus on your mission ? Accept responsibility for accomplishing your mission objectives and feel confident in your training and preparation. Ask yourself, 'What am I fighting for?" Why are you needed, and who is depending on you to get the job done? Perhaps it is your organization, your family, or the customers you are serving. What are the positive benefits that can result from accomplishing the difficult mission ahead? When you take the focus off of yourself and away from your fear, and direct it towards how your mission will positively impact the lives of others, you find purpose and meaning in life, and your fear diminishes.

? Focus on your wingmen ?Who is on your team that you can trust to get the job done? Who are the trusted and reliable partners in your personal and professional life? Who can you turn to for love, inspiration, advice, and courage? Perhaps it is your spouse, best friend, business partner, or even a co-worker. By focusing on your teammates and all the wonderful, supporting relationships you have, you become more courageous and confident to tackle life's challenges. In essence, they absorb some of your fear and make it easier for you to cope with life's challenges. You don't have to fly through life solo?have faith and trust your wingmen!

? Focus on winning ? see the success you want in your imagination first. Experience the exhilaration of winning in your mind. Remember, the body achieves what the mind has rehearsed! If your mind thinks failure, you are setting yourself up to fail. But if you train your thoughts to envision winning; if you imagine with perfect clarity overcoming your challenges with courage and achieving victory, then you are destined to win. Just as I 'chair flew' my combat mission and experienced victory, you can do the same. It's what athletes do before a tough game, and how the top salespersons prepare for their big sales presentations. It's not easy. Remember, WIN stands for Work it Now!SM. Winners understand it takes effort and sacrifice to win the challenges of life. And they don't put it off until tomorrow; they do what it takes today!

Finally, the most important part in handling fear is to embrace it with courage. Accept your fear and learn from it. Don't fight it or attempt to eliminate it, for it is a battle that can never be won. As Mark Twain once stated, "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear--not absence of fear." By experiencing fear, we become more human. Fear teaches us that we are not perfect nor are we superior to anyone else. It makes us more compassionate as we realize the frailty of life and emphasizes what truly is important in our lives.

Regardless if you are in business, in a committed relationship, or on a sports team, when you transform your fear into focus - on your mission, your wingmen, and on winning - you are sure to be victorious in all that you do.

Now, Focus your Energy, Accept Responsibility and make it happen!

Waldo Waldman builds team unity within organizations as a high energy inspirational speaker and sales/leadership consultant. A former combat-decorated fighter pilot with corporate sales experience, Waldo brings an exciting and valuable message to organizations by using fighter pilot strategies as building blocks for peak performance, teamwork, leadership, and trust. He has worked with dozens of corporations such as Honeywell, NY Life, and Federated Department Stores, and national associations such as Meeting Professionals International and the Int'l Sanitary Supply Association. To learn more about Waldo's seminars or to register for his newsletter," The Wingman", visit http://www.yourwingman.com or call him at 1-866-WALDO-16 (925-3616).

cleaning team near Winnetka ..

In The News:

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.

South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.

Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Transform Your Fear Into Focus!

Success