{"id":231949,"date":"2022-01-23T13:52:01","date_gmt":"2022-01-23T18:52:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/?p=231949"},"modified":"2024-02-23T18:15:49","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T23:15:49","slug":"the-four-horsemen-of-fear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/the-four-horsemen-of-fear\/","title":{"rendered":"The Four Horsemen of Fear"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"ast-oembed-container \" style=\"height: 100%;\"><iframe title=\"The 4 Horsemen of Fear | The Most Common Limiting Beliefs That Hold Us Back\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tpvb6yXmej8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Lack of money, resources, or intelligence isn\u2019t what holds entrepreneurs back from success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Limiting beliefs are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a Clinical Psychologist and Executive Coach, I\u2019ve noticed every limiting belief people struggle with falls into one of four categories. Everyone I\u2019ve worked with\u2014from bootstrapped first-time solopreneurs to VC-funded experienced founders\u2014struggles with at least one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I call these limiting beliefs the <strong>Four Horsemen of Fear<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the last book of the Bible, <em>Revelations<\/em>, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse spell doom for humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In business, and in life, the Four Horsemen of Fear spell doom for you, me, and anyone who wants to build something that matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They wreak havoc on our psyches and keep us from realizing our potential by tricking us into unconsciously self-sabotaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Who are these heralds of our mental destruction?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is there any hope to defeat them\u2014to face our fear so we can do work that matters?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s dive in\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-table-of-contents uagb-toc__align-left uagb-toc__columns-1  uagb-block-31d28c80     \"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-scroll= \"1\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-offset= \"30\"\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"uagb-toc__wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"uagb-toc__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTable Of Contents\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"uagb-toc__list-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<ol class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#who-are-the-four-horsemen-of-fear\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Who Are the Four Horsemen of Fear?<\/a><ul class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#the-1st-horseman-fear-of-failure\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">The 1st Horseman: Fear of Failure<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#the-2nd-horseman-fear-of-ridicule\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">The 2nd Horseman: Fear of Ridicule<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#the-3rd-horseman-fear-of-uncertainty\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">The 3rd Horseman: Fear of Uncertainty<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#the-4th-horseman-fear-of-success\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">The 4th Horseman: Fear of Success<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#how-the-4-horsemen-disguise-themselves-as-self-sabotaging-behaviors\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">How the 4 Horsemen Disguise Themselves as Self-Sabotaging Behaviors<\/a><ul class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#procrastination\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Procrastination:<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#perfectionism-and-imposter-syndrome\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Perfectionism and Imposter Syndrome:<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#complacency\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Complacency:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#how-to-conquer-the-four-horsemen-of-fear\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">How to Conquer the Four Horsemen of Fear<\/a><ul class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#strategy-1-fear-inoculation\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Strategy #1: Fear Inoculation<\/a><ul class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#fear-of-failure\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Fear of Failure:<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#fear-of-ridicule\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Fear of Ridicule:<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#fear-of-uncertainty\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Fear of Uncertainty:<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#fear-of-success\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Fear of Success:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#strategy-2-clarify-your-core-value\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Strategy #2: Clarify Your Core Value<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#strategy-3-memento-mori\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Strategy #3: Memento Mori<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#wrapping-up\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Wrapping Up<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#ps\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">P.S.<\/a><\/ul><\/ul><\/ul><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\u2022\u2022\u2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who Are the Four Horsemen of Fear?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>The Horsemen are the four most common limiting beliefs that hold us back from putting ourselves out there and doing meaningful work. Some are easy to spot, some are sneaky, but <em>all <\/em>are conniving and whisper lies in our ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The better you understand each, the easier you\u2019ll spot them when they rear their heads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The 1st Horseman: Fear of Failure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyone knows this one because it\u2019s the easiest to identify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It sows doubts like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>What if I&#8217;m not good enough?<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>What if I can&#8217;t make this work?<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Fear of Failure keeps us from ever starting.<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But its lesser-known brethren are equally debilitating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The 2nd Horseman: Fear of Ridicule<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;ve ever let what critics think, or what &#8220;they&#8221; (your friends, family, society) might say, stop you from putting yourself out there or doing meaningful work\u2014the 2nd Horseman has reared its ugly head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It whispers worries like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>What if people judge me for doing this?<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>What if they don&#8217;t like it?<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Fear of Ridicule tricks us into staying small and never taking a chance.<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The 3rd Horseman: Fear of Uncertainty<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The 3rd Horseman tells us we don&#8217;t have enough information to move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It whispers questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Which decision is right?<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Which direction should I choose?<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So we constantly seek more. More info. More resources. More answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Fear of Uncertainty paralyzes us in a constant state of over-analysis.<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The 4th Horseman: Fear of Success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the worst one because we deny its existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fear of Success holds more people back than Fear of Failure ever will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How could we be afraid of achieving the very thing we say we want?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because most of us believe success is a binary state: before and after. If we&#8217;ve never achieved success, we only know the &#8220;before&#8221; version of ourselves. &#8220;Post-success&#8221; us feels alien. Since we&#8217;re more familiar with our current state, we unconsciously self-sabotage to stay in familiar territory\u2014to live in a world we understand. Achieving success represents crossing a threshold we can&#8217;t see beyond. And that&#8217;s terrifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 4th Horseman hides in thoughts like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>If I succeed, will I lose my ambition?<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>What if achieving success means I\u2019ve peaked in life?<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>What if I can&#8217;t balance power with responsibility?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Fourth Horseman tells us we\u2019ll become a completely different person if we succeed, someone we won\u2019t recognize. As this new person, we might become stagnant, corrupted by power, and ambitionless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Fear of Success tricks us into abandoning worthwhile projects right when we\u2019re on the precipice of victory, to quit the race as soon as we get close enough to see the finish line.<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every single limiting belief I\u2019ve heard founders, creators, and entrepreneurs struggle with falls into one of the Horsemen\u2019s domains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So how do you combat them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first step is to recognize how the Horsemen disguise themselves in self-sabotaging behaviors:<\/p>\n\n\n<script async data-uid=\"e48f9f9dc1\" src=\"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.ck.page\/e48f9f9dc1\/index.js\" data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" data-no-defer=\"1\" nowprocket><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\u2022\u2022\u2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How the 4 Horsemen Disguise Themselves as Self-Sabotaging Behaviors<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Self-sabotaging behaviors, no matter how destructive, serve a specific <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CoreyWilksPsyD\/status\/1407094887313383424\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">function<\/a>\u2014they help us avoid the thing we fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the most common self-sabotaging behaviors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Procrastination:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The busier you stay, the more productive you are, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take on all the projects. Say yes to all the opportunities. Be a control freak and don\u2019t outsource anything. Spend your time putting out every small fire that pops up. Spend hours getting to \u201cinbox zero.\u201d Have a hundred priorities, and never take responsibilities off your plate. Have a great new idea? Immediately chase it while leaving your current projects half-finished. Keep getting caught up in low ROI tasks instead of focusing on the <a href=\"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/the-needle-movers-list\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Needle Movers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>If you never finish, you never risk Failure or Success.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Perfectionism and Imposter Syndrome:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t have all the answers. Your product isn\u2019t ready yet. You don\u2019t have enough authority for people to trust you. Who are you to build this? You\u2019re a nobody. You\u2019re unqualified. Better to wait until you learn more or create a better offer. Your competition is so far ahead of you, you\u2019ll probably never catch up. So what\u2019s the point of even trying? You should wait until you feel ready, then you won\u2019t have anything to be afraid of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How long have you been \u201cwriting\u201d your book or article, but still won\u2019t publish it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How long have you been thinking about, or actually building, that project but still haven\u2019t shipped it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How long have you thought out every possible scenario and created the \u201cperfect\u201d plan, but still haven\u2019t taken the steps to go from idea to execution?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>As long as you don&#8217;t put yourself out there, you avoid Ridicule.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Complacency:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Too many entrepreneurs create golden handcuffs (soul-sucking. but lucrative, businesses) and willingly choose to stay shackled than face the uncertainty freedom could bring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most people would rather choose the path that leads to predictable misery than the one that offers the <em>chance<\/em> of a better life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Humans are creatures of habit. We gravitate toward what we can anticipate. Uncertainty is terrifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Staying in your comfort zone keeps you safe from Uncertainty.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now you know each of the Four Horsemen of Fear, how they disguise themselves, and why we self-sabotage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But how can you overcome them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\u2022\u2022\u2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Conquer the Four Horsemen of Fear<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>The main way the Horsemen exert power over us is by tricking us into losing perspective. So the best strategies to overcome fear revolve around shifting our perspective to be more Intentional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"fear-inoculation\">Strategy #1: Fear Inoculation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We inoculate ourselves from viruses using vaccines that have a deconstructed version of the virus inside them. This gives our bodies the ability to \u201cpractice\u201d overcoming the virus if we ever encounter the real thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can use this same strategy to inoculate ourselves against the Four Horsemen by deconstructing our fear and \u201cpracticing\u201d ways to overcome it in case we ever encounter the real thing, aka if our fear comes true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s how you can use <a href=\"#fear-inoculation\">Fear Inoculation<\/a> to protect yourself against the Four Horsemen of Fear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Assume your worst fears come true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, <em>with that assumption in place<\/em>, how will you deal with it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how this can look for each of the Horsemen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fear of Failure:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You failed. How will you learn from your experience?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What do you need to do differently next time? In hindsight, what mistakes were avoidable and how will you ensure they don&#8217;t happen again?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Where did you take risks when you shouldn\u2019t have and avoid risks when you could have taken them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What resources did you not take advantage of that could\u2019ve helped you succeed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Were you solving the right problem for the right audience? Where was the misalignment between product-market fit?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you hire the wrong people or put good people in the wrong place?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Were you a control freak when you should\u2019ve delegated more and empowered your team instead of micromanaging them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dig into what specifically contributed to your failure. Learn from it now, in the safety of this thought experiment, so you can avoid the avoidable by deconstructing and reverse-engineering what can lead to failure in the real world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fear of Ridicule:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re getting backlash and bad press. What&#8217;s your strategy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Will you build in public and candidly improve based on feedback?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Will you control the narrative by getting in front of it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Will you do some PR magic and turn &#8220;bugs&#8221; into &#8220;features?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are the people criticizing you actually people whose opinions are worth caring about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll never be able to please everyone. Are you focusing on pleasing the right people? In business, this may mean clarifying your niche and messaging. In your personal life, it may mean focusing on pleasing <em>yourself<\/em> and valuing <em>your own opinion, wants, and needs<\/em> over what your old high school friends\u2014who you haven\u2019t talked to in 15 years\u2014might say about you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fear of Uncertainty:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than risk making the wrong decision, you made none and stagnated. How will you recover now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What information did you need but didn\u2019t get?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How realistic were your expectations?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can never know all the variables, so what was the minimum information you needed to make a viable decision?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How can you get this information?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pursue viability, not perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fear of Success:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You succeeded. You sold your business, hit your target ARR, published your book\u2014whatever you said you wanted to achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Congratulations!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s on the other side of success? Paint a vivid picture of what life post-success looks like. The more concrete, the better you\u2019ll be able to inoculate yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you become complacent and lose all motivation to better yourself or build amazing companies that make a positive impact on the world?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Does the world hang on your every word because they view you as a trusted authority in your niche, so you\u2019re afraid of how much weight your word carries?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If all you\u2019ve ever known is \u201cthe grind\u201d and climbing your way to the top, does it mean \u201cthe top\u201d is just a plateau and life will never get better?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How will you continue to grow and challenge yourself?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How will you ensure you don&#8217;t let success go to your head?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Who are great role models of people who achieved success and didn\u2019t let their newfound power corrupt them? How did they uphold their responsibility and use their influence for good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your word is gospel, how will you temper yourself and live with your newfound celebrity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Until you scale your first mountain, you can\u2019t see anything beyond it. But once you reach the peak, your perspective changes. Now, you realize you\u2019re at the beginning of the mountain range. Success isn\u2019t something to be feared because your first success opens your eyes to opportunities you couldn\u2019t imagine before. Your first success is critical, because it teaches you you\u2019re capable of achieving it. If you can scale the first mountain, you can scale the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inoculating yourself against fear by deconstructing will put you ahead of most people. But this approach alone isn\u2019t always enough to overcome it. That\u2019s where the next two strategies come in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Strategy #2: Clarify Your Core Value<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We all know overcoming fear is important. But it\u2019s easy to lose perspective on <em>why <\/em>it\u2019s important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Linking your goals to your overall vision gives them context and reminds you <em>why<\/em> achieving them is so important\u2014why it\u2019s worth facing the Four Horsemen of Fear so you can do work that matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the best way I\u2019ve found to create worthwhile goals is to connect them to your Core Value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your Core Value is the one underlying value that unites everything you stand for, it\u2019s the running theme across the times in your life you felt alive, it\u2019s what matters most to you, and it\u2019s the most fundamental piece of what a life well lived <em>must<\/em> include.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ub-styled-box ub-styled-box ub-notification-box\" id=\"ub-styled-box-c61918b5-08e6-474f-84fb-d728eadb3e11\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color\" id=\"ub-styled-box-notification-content-0c4ef4f8-8323-47fe-b83f-ef14b5f84995\"><strong> For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color\">Art is a serial entrepreneur whose Core Value is <em>freedom<\/em>. He breaks this down into two categories: <em>freedom to<\/em> do things he enjoys and <em>freedom from<\/em> doing things he doesn\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color\"> Specifically, the freedom to explore his creativity, build wealth on his terms, embrace his authenticity, control his schedule, travel, and spend time with friends and family. And the freedom from societal expectations, a traditional 9-5 job, and being trapped on the Hedonic Treadmill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color\"> Knowing his Core Value has helped decline certain lucrative consulting and co-founding opportunities because they would\u2019ve robbed him of his freedom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color\"> He\u2019s currently exploring creating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artlapinsch.com\/twelve\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">12 projects in 12 months<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color\">Despite the risk of failure, despite what critics might say about the path he\u2019s chosen and the opportunities he\u2019s declined, despite the uncertainty of blazing his own trail, and despite the uncertainty of how his life may change in the future\u2014his Core Value reminds him which path is fulfilling and why facing his fears is worth it in the end. <\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The Four Horsemen will continually test your resolve. If you create goals that don\u2019t align with what resonates with you on a fundamental level, you won\u2019t stand a chance. But if you focus on creating goals that align with your Core Value, you\u2019ll have high conviction that they\u2019re worth facing your fears to achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So anytime the Horsemen try to trick you into doubting yourself or turning back, you\u2019ll remember <em>why<\/em> your goals are important, <em>why<\/em> they\u2019re worth pursuing despite all the obstacles, and <em>why<\/em> they\u2019re worth facing your fears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because of all the goals you <em>could<\/em> set, of all the opportunities you <em>could<\/em> pursue, you have to have a system to focus on the ones that are <em>worth it<\/em> and filter out the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now you\u2019ve got two solid strategies to overcome fear, but the Horsemen are powerful. Too powerful, sometimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But there\u2019s something even more powerful than them, and it can help you overcome all of the Horsemen combined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Strategy #3: Memento Mori<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Four Horsemen trick us into losing perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They lie and tell us to only focus on the negatives, the \u201cwhat ifs,\u201d and endlessly put off facing our discomfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But we don\u2019t <em>have<\/em> an endless amount of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every fear that holds us back from reaching our potential or doing meaningful work is trivial compared to the fact <em>we\u2019re all going to die<\/em>. In Latin, <em>memento mori<\/em> translates to <em>remember you will die<\/em>\u2013it\u2019s a powerful meditation to use mortality as a motivator to live fully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Fear of Failure tells you that you won\u2019t make it, that it\u2019s not worth even starting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reply: <em>memento mori.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Fear of Ridicule threatens you with criticism and humiliation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reply: <em>memento mori<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Fear of Uncertainty tells you you\u2019re not prepared enough, that you need to keep analyzing every possible scenario before moving forward:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reply: <em>memento mori<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Fear of Success tells you you won\u2019t recognize yourself on the other side of victory, that you should stay in your comfort zone:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reply: <em>memento mori.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Four Horsemen of Fear trick us into losing perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/memento-mori-the-antidote-to-fear\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Memento mori<\/a><\/em> puts life back into perspective with crystal clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You get one go at life to do what\u2019s worth doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you really going to let fear stand in your way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\u2022\u2022\u2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wrapping Up<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Between deconstructing fear, clarifying your Core Value, and using mortality as a motivator to live fully, few things can stand in your way of doing work that matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Four Horsemen of Fear are devastatingly powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But they have a weakness: The unknown is what truly terrifies us. The unknown of how to avoid failure. The unknown of which choices we should make. The unknown of how critics will react. The unknown of what\u2019s on the other side of success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So by clarifying what we\u2019re truly afraid of, and developing strategies to overcome it, we make the unknown known and rob fear of its power over us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By deconstructing our fears. By considering why what we\u2019re currently doing is worth facing our fear. By putting our fear into perspective and remembering we get one shot to make a difference in this life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can overcome the Four Horsemen of Fear so we can be more intentional with how we live, work, and create.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what if the Four Horsemen of Fear weren&#8217;t trying to hold us back? What if we could learn to use our fear as a guide toward fulfillment? <a href=\"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/what-if-fear-is-trying-to-guide-you-toward-fulfillment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Check out Part 2<\/a> in the Four Horsemen of Fear series now to find out&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\u2022\u2022\u2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">P.S.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>If these concepts resonate with you, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.creatoralchemy.com\/intentional-life-design-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Build an Intentional Life<\/a>. It&#8217;s a self-paced course designed to help clarify what matters, overcome limiting beliefs like the Four Horsemen of Fear, and do work that matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.creatoralchemy.com\/intentional-life-design-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/build-an-intentional-life.png\" alt=\"Build an Intentional Life\" class=\"wp-image-234442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/build-an-intentional-life.png 1280w, https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/build-an-intentional-life-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/build-an-intentional-life-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/build-an-intentional-life-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-black-background-color has-black-color is-style-wide\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A deep dive into the most common limiting beliefs that hold us back from success, and how to conquer them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":235853,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","ub_ctt_via":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,57],"tags":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/4-horsemen-of-fear-graphic-1.png","author_info":{"display_name":"Corey","author_link":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/author\/corey\/"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/4-horsemen-of-fear-graphic-1.png",1600,900,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/4-horsemen-of-fear-graphic-1-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/4-horsemen-of-fear-graphic-1-300x169.png",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/4-horsemen-of-fear-graphic-1-768x432.png",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/4-horsemen-of-fear-graphic-1-1024x576.png",1024,576,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/4-horsemen-of-fear-graphic-1-1536x864.png",1536,864,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/4-horsemen-of-fear-graphic-1.png",1600,900,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Corey","author_link":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/author\/corey\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A deep dive into the most common limiting beliefs that hold us back from success, and how to conquer them.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231949"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=231949"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231949\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":236091,"href":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231949\/revisions\/236091"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/235853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=231949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=231949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coreywilkspsyd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=231949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}