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Dealing with fear

Every week I begin conversations with clients with a question about urgencies. Regardless of whether my client is a head of fundraising, a nonprofit CEO, a small business owner or a family wanting to solidify their philanthropy, I find that talking about their biggest urgency is a great way to begin the thought process on how I can best serve them.

Most of the conversations around this question center around…..

Fear.

Fear of not enough funds, not enough time, not enough capacity, not enough skills. The list can go on and on.

I like this reference for fear: face everything and rise.

And this is what we end up talking about: rising through our fears. What can be done about this fear? Is it as simple as just letting it go? Or are there specific actions we can take to get rid of the fear. Typically both of these come into play.

There are definitely actions that can be taken when becoming consumed with fear. In my personal journey, I find that if I create a list of actions (even if they have nothing to do with my fear) and get started on them one by one, that my fear usually subsides. This is mainly when the fear is around work and things I am accountable for, and simply taking actions help a lot.

Another action that always helps is talking about the fear with a peer or colleague. Always helpful. For both parties. Talking about it and taking action seem to free us of the power of fear, and allows us to continue our work in making the world a better place.

Thank you for reading. I’d be thrilled to discuss fears with you, especially ones related to nonprofit fundraising and consulting. You can email me at [email protected]

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