What are you scared of [Inspired Insights]


Inspired Insights

April 26th, 2024

What are you scared of?

What’s the fear that’s stopping you from doing what you truly want to be doing?

So many of you have built up this enormous monster in your minds of what taking action might look like.

Where it might lead you.

And the misery it may create.

Your inaction has allowed you to spin up such a tail of fear that your goals now represent fear itself.

It’s a vicious cycle; the longer you stay in that period of inaction, the greater the fear becomes.

Sometimes, to such an extent that some of you are completely paralyzed.

And the idea of action is now almost impossible.

But there’s one understanding that’s helped me make movement when I’ve been paralysed by fear.

Our fears are just our imaginations justifying our own inaction.

It’s giving you an out.

Protecting you from the regret that comes from finally recognising that you are truly the only reason you haven’t achieved what you want.

The only thing standing between where you are and where you want to be, is you.

So ask yourself, what’s the worst that could possibly happen?

What’s the big scary monster standing between you and your goals?

Because most of the time, when you answer that question, honestly, it’s almost never as bad as you thought.

You realise that your fears are almost entirely based on change.

You’re not scared of a worst-case scenario.

You’re not scared of going broke.

Or losing friends.

Or building a business that fails.

You’re scared of change.

You’re scared of trading what you have now, no matter how uncomfortable it is, for an unknown.

Your fear of the unknown is greater than the discomfort of inaction.

That's the reality of chasing an ambition.

It's trading a familiar and comfortable reality; for an unknown.

But in that unknown, is everything you’ve ever wanted.

The only life worth living, is a life lived in that unknown.

The predictable is, well… predictable.

Embrace the unknown.

Lean into that discomfort.

The pain you feel, the setbacks you face, the fear you overcome.

Those aren't abnormalities.

They're features.

They're part of the journey you chose.

I hope this email propels you into action.


Lesson

I wrote this email in its entirety (with a few more grammatical errors) in my journal a few days ago.

The "you's" and "yours" throughout, were initially directed at myself.

I've struggled a little with taking action lately, and so I wrote down the line:

"Most of your fears, are just your imagination justifying your own inaction"

And that one line created the piece of writing above.

I'm telling you this, because almost always, my writing, my videos, my scripts, and my products, are all born out of a desire to help myself.

I think the best work is always made when it's made for you, then presented to an audience.

Not the other way round.

So if you struggle to source ideas, or can't seem to connect with your audience, or just don't know where to start.

Start, by writing for yourself.

...

Resource

I know I'm a little late to the party on this one, but I recently purchased a cheap, amazon kitchen timer to use whilst working.

And although that in itself isn't revolutionary, what it has done for me has been.

And you might be surprised here, it has nothing to do with focus.

Because I don't necessarily struggle with focus, when I'm interested in a task, you cannot pull me away from it.

What I struggle with most is knowing when to stop working.

And as a result, I can often let my work spill into the evenings or stop me from doing the other important things in my life.

And so, I purchased this timer and told myself:

"Once I have completed 10 x 30-minute focused blocks for the day, I am done and can do whatever else I like with the rest of my day."

And this has completely changed my ability to switch off.

It has given me a clear, and concise end to each day.

Which is something I haven't had for years.

...

Question

What are the seeds you're planting today that will bear fruit 12, 24, and 36 months from now?

You can reply directly to this email with anything you created, consumed, or thought about this week.

Thank you once again for spending some of your time with me & reading Inspired Insights.

Talk soon,


What can I help you with?

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Tom Noske

Helping creators build powerful personal brands & turn their passion into profit.

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