People get through difficult times and overcome fear in different ways.

There’s an old but effective bit of advice about overcoming the fear of public speaking for example that recommends you imagine the audience are all naked - better still naked and sitting on toilets! 

I use the following method when I’m having a bad month in business - and they do come to everyone.

If I ever have those thoughts about giving it up and just getting a job again when things get tough this is my way of getting through it. 

I think of Top Gear challenges.

If you’re not familiar Top Gear was a long running TV show sort of about cars and motoring but more about the interaction between the three presenters.

Anyway several times per year they would do a big challenge. They would each have a car - sometimes a fancy new supercar, other times a second hand wreck.

They would have to take the cars on a very long road trip and undertake a host of challenges along the way.

The idea was to prove which car was the best but the real show was the competitiveness of the presenters.

In case one of the cars broke down and couldn’t be fixed they were shadowed by a back up car.

The back up car would be a horrible, boring, ugly model - usually one that had been the butt of jokes on the show for years.

Being forced to admit defeat and having to complete the challenge in the back up car was seen as just the worse thing that could ever happen.

So I think of that back up car anytime I feel like giving up. I should point out that this is very rare but when it does crop up that works for me every time.

The back up car = going back to employment, giving up on a dream, losing my freedom and independence. 

That sends a shiver down my spine………… 

Cheers!