Fear of Success? Or Fear of Power?

Written by Barbara Huson

She sat across the table, looking like the savvy businesswoman she was.

As we chatted over kale salads, she told me how her company, not yet two years old, was growing exponentially.

Then she lowered her voice and leaned in close. “There’s something I need to talk about. I’ve never shared this with anyone.”

“What is it?” I asked, also leaning forward. I could tell this was difficult for her.

“I’m afraid of success. I can already see little ways I’m holding myself back.”

When I asked what scared her, she replied, “I’m afraid people won’t like me. I’m afraid people will want more of me than I can give them. I’m scared it will all be too much.”

5 Simple Steps to Overcome Resistance

Written by Barbara Huson

I remember the moment it first happened to me. I was researching my book, Prince Charming Isn’t Coming, learning so much from the savvy women I was interviewing, finally getting a grip on my finances.

When suddenly, Resistance hit…hard! I lost interest in anything financial and, try as I might, couldn’t get past my inertia. So I made an appointment with a therapist.

“I really want to get smart about money,” I cried in desperation. “I really, really do!”

Looking me square in the eye, he calmly responded: “No you don’t!” I couldn’t argue.

Clearly, part of me didn’t want to get smart. I tried hard to ignore that part, afraid it would take over. But in truth, my repression gave it power.

Get Rid of Imposter Syndrome…For Good!

Written by Barbara Huson

When I interviewed over 150 high earners for my book, Secrets of Six-Figure Women, I expected these women to be extremely confident. And they were.

What I didn’t expect was how many struggled with fear, self-doubt and felt like a fraud, afraid others would find out. Which was exactly how I felt!

But there was a difference between them and me—they didn’t let fear stop them. Their courage inspired me.

After one of those interviews, I grabbed a blank piece of paper and wrote, in red crayon: “Do What You Fear. That’s How You Succeed.” I framed it and put it on a table across from my desk where it still stands today.

An Exercise for Rewiring Your Brain

Written by Barbara Huson

Last week, a client called, close to tears. Her husband’s business unexpectedly went belly up. Suddenly left with no income, she was forced to get a second job.

“Do you think this crisis has anything to do with my decision to make more money and my lack of action?” she asked.

Obviously it was a rhetorical question.

I see this pattern all the time. Women who avoid money—making it or managing it—until a crisis hits. Either their world falls apart or feels like it’s about to. That’s when they finally take action.

I did it myself. I waited until a million-dollar tax bill almost wiped me out. Not smart!!

How about you? Are you avoiding your finances until the pain gets worse than your fear? Are wanting to move forward without having your world violently–or even mildly–shaken?

A Radically New (And Far Better) Way to Make New Year’s Resolutions

Written by Barbara Huson

The ritual begins, for me, right around Christmas. I find myself wondering about the coming year. Indeed, as I write, 2022 looms before me like a blank canvas. And I ask myself—how do I want to fill it?

Thus begins the Annual Writing of My New Year’s Resolutions. I suspect many of you may be doing the same.

We do it even though we know that New Year’s Resolutions rarely bear fruit. Most of us (80%) give up by the second week in February.

So this year, I’m approaching my Resolution Ritual quite differently. I’ve discovered a better way to bring my dreams and goals into reality. I invite you to join me.

Consciousness Raising While Holiday Shopping

Written by Barbara Huson

Tis the season to be spending. But splurging on presents is like binging at the buffet. Fun at first, but afterwards, you feel awful!

Let me suggest a simple tip to control your spending, without turning into a tightwad: Track your expenses.

Every time you buy anything—a gift, a latte or a mani/pedi—jot down the item and the amount…at the time of purchase. Otherwise, receipts pile up and it feels overwhelming.

Believe me, tracking is not just for those with limited means. Tracking is a powerful consciousness raising, potentially life changing tool. It reveals a lot more than where you can shave and save.

Using Failure to Achieve Greatness

Written by Barbara Huson

Did you hear about the MBA program offering a course on how to fail? Students are graded on how they handle setbacks in class projects. Classmates are encouraged to boo presentation they don’t like. Guest speakers recount stories of personal failures.

Why aren’t there more courses like that? As inventor Charles Kettering noted, “Failing is one of the greatest arts in the world.”

Failure, an art??? Not in today’s world! With the emphasis on productivity, failure must be avoided at all costs.

How shortsighted. Trying to avoid messing up is a sure path to mediocrity. But those aiming for Greatness never shy away from possible defeat.

Henry Ford, Colonel Sanders, Walt Disney all went broke at least once before amassing millions. Lincoln lost 7 elections before becoming president. Einstein flunked math. Babe Ruth struck out 1330 times, more than any other major league player. Elvis Presley was fired from the Grand Ole Opry.

Professionally Successful – Financially Strapped! Oh My!

Written by Barbara Huson

On the outside, she had it all together. A successful entrepreneur who made loads of money, dressed exquisitely, and lived in luxury.

But every morning she woke up feeling like “there’s ground glass in my gut.” Under her polished veneer, she was drowning in debt.

“I am making good money, but I have nothing to show for it,“ she told me. “I’m broke but nobody knows it.”

Our successful entrepreneur represents a raging epidemic—people who are professionally successful but financially strapped.

Most experts advocate budgeting as the best solution. But she had tried repeatedly to follow a budget, only to fail miserably.

The truth is, will power alone is never enough to stop compulsive behaviors. Because money isn’t the problem, but a symptom of something deeper.

How I Rewired My Brain for Higher Earnings…without even realizing I was doing it.

Written by Barbara Huson

Here’s a revealing exercise. How would you complete the sentence: I’d love to make more money, but_______________.

You probably came up with some perfectly good reasons why you can’t: “I’m too old. I’m too young. I don’t have time. I have little kids. I don’t want to work that hard.”

Your reasons may feel rational. But they are not the truth. They are simply deep-seated beliefs, messages you repeatedly heard growing up that have become deeply embedded in your brain.

These beliefs, far more than any external factors, are the reason you’re stuck in underearning. Whenever you attempt to do something contrary to your beliefs, your brain screams bloody murder: “Stop! Don’t go there! Danger! Danger!”

Overcoming Financial Paralysis

Written by Barbara Huson

I was newly divorced, raising 3 daughters, when I got tax bills for over $1m. My ex was responsible, but he left the country…leaving me with very little in the bank. My father refused to lend me the money. I was angry and terrified. I had no choice. I had to get smart about money.

I tried going to classes, reading books, but nothing made sense. I felt immobilized. Nowhere in those books or classes could I find a solution for my paralysis. Until I took matters in my own hands.

I stopped focusing on the practical mechanics of money and started plumbing the deepest recesses of my psyche. Writing in my journal proved profoundly revealing.

I became aware of a familiar voice that kept telling me how stupid I was. Instead of ignoring it or letting it hold sway, as I always did, I began a dialogue with that voice, asking it where it came from and what it wanted.

I immediately heard my father telling me, often and in no uncertain terms, that managing money was a man’s job. As a woman, I did not have what it took to deal with finances.

So of course, I was terrified that if I tried to take charge, I’d botch things badly, blow it all.

Rewiring

Fear of Success? Or Fear of Power?

5 Simple Steps to Overcome Resistance

Get Rid of Imposter Syndrome…For Good!

An Exercise for Rewiring Your Brain

A Radically New (And Far Better) Way to Make New Year’s Resolutions

Consciousness Raising While Holiday Shopping

Using Failure to Achieve Greatness

Professionally Successful – Financially Strapped! Oh My!

How I Rewired My Brain for Higher Earnings…without even realizing I was doing it.

Overcoming Financial Paralysis

Meet Barbara Huson

Recent Blog Posts