Mind Traps – Part Ten

Trapped by fear.

Fear often has a negative connotation. Fear is usually a protective feeling that’s helpful when walking down a dark alley. You need to be more vigilant of what’s lurking in the night. This feeling can result in the following behaviors: fight – flight – freeze. Way back in the hunting and gathering days, these behaviors may have worked just fine. Even today, they have a place. Recall the dark alley – you hear a suspicious noise – you flee.

What if fear though is more of a frequent or even constant feeling, that pit in your stomach? No dark alley, no bear chasing you. It’s just there and leads to the same behaviors: fight, flight, or freeze.

This can lead to an above average risk aversion or paralysis when faced with a new challenge or having two dozen reasons X cannot be. This is different than taking an objective look and realizing barriers or issues that need to be addressed – that’s helpful. I’m speaking about not allowing yourself to even think out of the box because that box is where you feel safe (aka trapped.)

When in a leadership role, this type of fear can hinder your ability to enable others to feel safe, curtail innovation, and hamper agility.

What are the questions to ask yourself for this mind trap?

Question 1: What am I truly afraid of? There may be valid things to fear. Naming them versus being controlled by them is helpful. Naming them helps to uncover the valid ones that need to be addressed and help you let go of the others.

Question 2: What evidence do I have to support my fear? Is there objective reality to the feeling versus a perpetual feeling?

Your fear may have been rightly experienced and protected you in the past. It may not be needed today as it was then. Imagine being free of this box; what does that look and feel like?