I’d like to call foul on the old cliché that says, “The truth hurts.”
When you’ve believed a lie, or when you have invested resources under a faulty assumption, then the moment of learning the truth can certainly feel uncomfortable.
But you have a choice of how to respond. And I suggest that knowing the truth always gives you the opportunity to make better choices than you can when you don’t know the truth.
But the discomfort of that moment of learning can sometimes be overwhelming, possibly more than we’re prepared to accept.
Maybe we’re afraid of the regret we’ll feel for what we did before we knew the truth. Maybe we’re afraid of the burden of responsibility we’ll have to accept after we know, and we’d rather maintain our private illusion of plausible deniability. Maybe we’re emotionally attached to a specific course of action, and we’re afraid that an honest assessment will persuade us to give it up.
Either way, the Fear Of Finding Out, or FOFO, can be insidious, and it prevents you from growing. It may even prevent you from succeeding.
Whether it’s applying for a new role, asking for candid feedback, publishing your product to the market, or just finally scheduling that annual physical with your doctor, when you’re willing to embrace the uncomfortable moment of learning a truth that challenges your assumptions, your one step closer to overcoming FOFO and finding success.
And if you’d like help seeing where FOFO might be getting in your way, let’s talk. Visit https://stevedwire.com/talk for a complimentary conversation.
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