As a business and life coach, I have found that the biggest barrier to success is an internal barrier that stops many people from moving forward. This internal barrier affects all areas of life, from business and making money, to having successful and fulfilling personal relationships, and living a healthy balanced lifestyle. Whatever the goal for a person, forward progress is essential in order to reach these goals. Without forward movement, stagnation occurs. By choosing stagnation instead of forward movement, the person is ultimately choosing backward movement - this backward movement caused by losing time and momentum toward chosen goals. This internal barrier must be addressed in order to assure that results are achieved.

So, why do people get stopped from taking action and from moving forward toward their goals? The answer is quite easy. It all comes down to FEAR. When people stop, they are inwardly fearful of something. Perhaps it is a fear of looking bad to others, not knowing what will happen next, not being clear on choices, or perhaps there are questions about safety or overall health and happiness. Whatever the reason for the fear, fear itself can be paralyzing.

A wise man once told me something that I recite to myself each and every time I feel fear - "Fear doesn't mean stop, it means pay attention." When I feel fear, I do stop momentarily to pay attention to the cause. What am I afraid of? It is this awareness and the next steps that I take that help keep me in action despite the fear. Follow the Acronym F.E.A.R., and you too will be able to feel the fear and move forward at the same time.

F - Formulate a Plan. When you feel fear pay attention to the cause of the fear. Fear is there to keep you safe. It is your subconscious mind letting you know that there may be a danger. Don't ignore it. Instead, find out the cause of the fear and determine what you can do about it. Formulate a plan to keep you safe and to make you successful. What needs to show up so that you can guarantee that this fear will NOT be realized? What needs to show up so that you can and will be successful?

E - Examine All Options. What choices do you have? Will these choices keep you safe, get you positive results, and/or help you move forward with little or no consequence? When you know all of your choices, you can choose the best choice possible based on the circumstances you are encountering.

A - Assess Your Safety. Ask yourself if you have done everything within your power to keep you safe. When you have a plan and know your options, you can assess if you are going to be safe or will you still be in danger.

R - Respond Accordingly. If your plan will keep you safe, then you can stay in action by feeling the fear and doing it anyway - knowing you have controlled everything you can. If your plan does not prevent you from staying safe, you can take a calculated risk or change your goal. There are times when fear is legitimate. Listen to your gut as it attempts to keep you safe. There are times when it is appropriate to make new decisions and there are also times when you will be safe and you need to simply feel the fear and move forward anyway.

Fear is a real motivator and ultimately it can lead to success or failure. So, pay attention to it. Stop ignoring the fear. Pay attention to it, understand it, and believe that fear does not need to be a motivator to stop action. By understanding why people feel fear and then what to do to move past it, you have a new success tool that will help you and the people you help to keep in action and get results. So the next time you feel fear, follow the steps above and move through the fear to get the results you now want.