Best Job Ever!

Chapter 3Why You Haven't Changed Anything: Career Fear

There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.

—Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Courage is simply the willingness to be afraid and act anyway.

—Dr. Robert Anthony

I met Rob at a business meeting for entrepreneurs. He had worked as an accountant for 10 years until he couldn't do it any longer. He left to start his own business designing, creating, and selling watchstraps. On a break from the meeting, I asked Rob if he experienced fear when he left his finance career. “Terrified” he said. “It took me much longer to leave than I originally planned. I had so many fears that everything would go wrong. It was a tough time in my life.”

Rich, a good friend and extremely bright individual, wasn't accepted into his preferred medical residency program after finishing medical school. He was devastated. He confided in me that he didn't know what to do and felt like a failure. “I had so much fear that I wasted four years of my life and the thought of having to start over and figure out a new career was overwhelming. I have never been so worried. The fear of failure nearly killed me.”

Amanda, a veteran sales rep, was up for a promotion. The interviews were to be the deciding factor, and interviewing wasn't her strong point. Amanda had a phenomenal sales record and won nearly every company award possible, yet she knew she needed to perform well in the interview. “I lose my train of thought easily and ...