Are you afraid of success?

Believe it or not, this fear is very real for some people. It is said that celebrities such as Judy Garland, Richard Nixon, Marilyn Monroe and Freddie Prinze Sr. had it. According to Dr. Leon Tec, author of “The Fear of Success”, this fear is described as a person’s unconscious fear that his success is not justified and that he is a fraud. It is tied to one’s self image. The fear of success is a negative force that can paralyze and interfere with the kind of rational risk-taking necessary for success. An aversion to the responsibilities that come with success can also be a factor in fueling this fear.

It is said that even Judy Garland, Richard Nixon, Marilyn Monroe and Freddie Prinze Sr. had the fear of success.

Is this fear preventing you from improving your present situation? Are you unable to make the transition to a better job, a better position or a better relationship because of this destructive habit? Here are a few guidelines in managing this condition.

1. Learn to recognize this fear. You may not even be aware that such a condition exists. Increase your awareness. The only one holding you back from winning might be – you.
2. Find a reason to succeed. This fear is so widespread that even successful individuals also admit that they have it. The only difference is that their desire to succeed is stronger.
3. Be open to changes. New promotion, new job means new responsibilities and a lot of adjustments, right? Of course. It’s always been like that. The sooner you accept this, the better it is for you.
4. Fear not the responsibilities. You’ll always have to deal with these as long as you are alive, so fear not.
5. Be at peace with yourself. Feel good about yourself.. Forgive yourself. This takes the pressure off. As long as you feel positive about yourself, you will be productive wherever you are in the pecking order.

Are you being micromanaged?

Is your boss constantly hounding you and just won’t go away? Is he more obsessed with the activity than the outcome? Is the situation causing stress for you, and is now wreaking havoc on your productivity, morale and self-esteem? Maybe you’re being micromanaged

According to Harry Chambers’ My Way or the Highway: The Micromanagement Survival Guide here are some signs that you are being micromanaged:

• They exercise raw power: They assert their authority just because they can.
• They dictate time: They don’t trust people to assess their own workload, so they routinely impose priorities.  And while they guard their own time with an iron fist, they constantly interrupt others.
• They control how work gets done: Things always need to be done their way.
• They require undue approvals: They allow no one to move forward without their approval — even on routine or time-sensitive matters.
• They demand frequent, unnecessary reports: They monitor others to death — requiring a stream of needless reports that focus on activity over outcomes.

The business world is full of micromanagers.  While it is a serious career issue the situation is not as hopeless as it looks.  Here’s how you can manage the situation according to The Monster Blog:

1. Critique yourself.  Take a hard look at how you work.  There may be gaps in your performance and your boss may have some unmet expectations.  Do this first.
2. Understand Your Boss.  Understand where he’s coming from – an authoritative background, low self-esteem, insecurity, etc.
3. Confront Your Boss. Directly expressing your concern over his management style may do the trick.  For all you know, it may only be a miscommunication.
4. Document Your Work.  Record your actions and achievements.  Nothing beats having a reference the next time you are called to account for your work.
5. Extreme Measures. When all else fails, find another job. While it may be attractive to jump the moment you figure out that you’rer being micromanaged, don’t just leave without taking care of business. You should have a place to transfer to before saying adios.  You need an exit plan.  Your priority is to make your transition as smooth as possible. More on this during the next posts.

Letting go of Egypt

The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

- Exodus 16:3

I was listening to Ed Lapiz on the radio one night when I thought I heard him say, “Let go of your Egypt”.  The phrase stuck to my mind.  He was talking about the Exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land.  When the Israelites came to the Desert of Sin (between Elim and Sinai) on the fifteenth day of the second month, after their final escape from the Pharaoh’s forces. They were grumbling because they had no food.  They recalled their days under the Pharaoh’s rule.  They were oppressed yet comfortable, to a certain extent.

The Lord may may have great plans for us but sometimes the only way to reach them is to get out of our comfort zones.  Moving on to a better position, a better job or to better circumstances, means taking a leap of faith.  It doesn’t mean being irresponsible and just leaving your current obligations.  It means planning, as much as you can, for that next big step.  Anticipating all possible scenarios and preparing for them gives us comfort but then, we get a feeling that somehow, certain factors can still conspire to foul things up just as we are making our big move. Now THIS is what makes us uncomfortable.  And this is were we need to make that leap of faith.  It will never make sense now but in hindsight (it’s always in hindsight, isn’t it?), you will understand why you were made to undergo such an experience in getting to your goal.

“…For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

- Jeremiah 29:11

We should seek the best from God, but we have to leave Egypt to get to the Promised Land.

What’s your personal Egypt?