Fear - a word that describes what many of us feel but often don’t admit to. It is fear that is undoubtedly the reason why many people fail to realise their true career potential.

We can experience fear at all ages. In childhood, it can be a fear of strangers and in adolescence it can be a fear of not fitting into a particular social group. However, as we approach adulthood, it generally begins to dawn on us that we need to be mapping out our career paths. For some people, this may lead to a fear of the uncertainty that lies ahead. Even throughout our careers, we may feel uncertain about the choices we’ve made and fear that we’ve made our own bed and will now need to sleep in it until we retire!

All these fears can cause us to behave and make decisions which could be exactly what is holding us back in our lives and careers.

Quite often I hear people say, “I’m too busy to do this or that” or “that’s unrealistic”. I think it’s sometimes a case that people keep their real ambitions quiet because they fear being exposed and judged by others. They believe that expressing their genuine feelings and ambitions could be perceived negatively, and could also impact them emotionally and financially.

Take John (not his real name) for example. John ran a successful design business servicing large multinational companies. To many people, John was successful. However, he felt stuck in his role. Sure, he was running a successful business and was making a lot of money. But he hated being stuck indoors. You see, John loved being outdoors and, as the years went on, John became more frustrated at his job which saw him stuck behind a computer screen.

“I’m too old to change my job.”

“I earn too much money in my current position to change and follow my passion.”

“Changing to a lesser paid job will compromise the quality of life my family is accustomed to.”

These were just some of the thoughts (and fears) that pervaded John’s mind.

Luckily, John did not allow fear to dominate his life. He sold up his business and is now working in the gardening/landscaping industry. And he loves it.

“I feared the change for so long and when I did it I realised that the job satisfaction I received outweighed the marginal income loss. I’m available for my family and I genuinely believe we are all happier.”

A career change doesn’t have to mean moving to a less-paid job either. Perhaps you want to go higher in your profession. Maybe your dream is to be a CEO. “But these are just dreams,” you tell yourself. Once again, “I’m too busy” and “that’s not possible for me” become the dominant ways of thinking.

Many people simply go about their lives never really doing too much to change or improve their situation. Quite often this fear leads to anxiety and can ultimately lead to depression. Who hasn’t heard that word in recent years?

I think if people make a conscious effort to understand the negative impact that fear can have on their life and career progression, it could allow them to take a very big first step toward seeking new and exciting opportunities.

Being open and honest about our ambitions, regardless of what others think is a great first step. Remember ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’, so accepting that change may take time, and it may be necessary to chip away at it and perhaps take some calculated risks along the way is also an important approach.

Of-course there are few if any ‘easy’ solutions in today’s difficult work climate but trying to minimise fear can at least begin to release the shackles, inspire confidence and hopefully expose people to new and exciting opportunities they may never have thought possible.