Help, I'm Succeeding! (And Other Rational Fears) with Hannah Isted & Lois Seco
This episode is sponsored by Riverside. Head to https://creators.riverside.fm/lizmosley to check it out and use the code lizmosley for a 15% discount.
This week, I’m excited to share a slightly different episode of the Building Your Brand podcast. I was joined in the studio by two previous guests, Hannah and Lois, for a candid conversation about a topic I don't think is discussed enough: the fear of success.
It turns out this fear has a name – the Jonah Complex – and it can show up in all sorts of sneaky ways, from procrastination to self-sabotage. We delved into what the fear of success looks like for each of us, how it holds us back, and what we can do to start working through it. We touch on everything from the pressure of maintaining success to how our relationships can change and the stories we tell ourselves about what success even means.
This was such an insightful and inspiring chat, and I hope it gets you thinking about your own relationship with success.
Key Takeaways:- Define Your Own Success: Success isn't a one-size-fits-all concept. 3It’s crucial to get clear on what success looks and feels like for you personally, rather than chasing a version of success defined by others or society.
- Embrace the Process: The journey towards your goals is just as important as reaching the destination. We often adapt to achievements quickly, so finding joy and value in the day-to-day process is key to long-term fulfilment.
- Challenge Your Internal Stories: We all have narratives in our heads about what success entails – that it’s stressful, that it requires sacrificing time with family, or that it will make people dislike us. It's powerful to question these stories, unpick our judgements of others, and intentionally decide if we're making choices out of fear or true desire.
- Get Comfortable with Discomfort: Pushing towards something new will inevitably feel uncomfortable because it's something you haven't done before. Learning to tolerate this discomfort is essential for growth, and it's different from being mean to yourself.
- 03:31: The topic for today's episode is the fear of success, which came about after a conversation between the three of us.
- 08:08: Lois shares her fear of niching down into the wrong thing and how coaching helped her reframe her perspective on success and capacity.
- 11:05: I talk about how my most significant moments of success were defined by the feeling of security they
