Peter Shallard

The term “Lizard Brain” has been thrown around the blogosphere a whole bunch lately thanks to Seth Godin’s phenomenal new book Linchpin.

I first heard the term from international direct response marketing legend John Carlton, who has also been harping on and on about Lizard Brain Fear (and why entrepreneurs must overcome it) for years.

From a psychological point of view, Lizard Brain Fear is a fight or flight reaction sent by the most ancient part of our brain.

The reaction tends to pop up when we attempt to do something extraordinary…. in business or life.

Protection in the jungle:

In an effort to protect us from the dangerous predators of ancient times, the Lizard Brain pumps us full of fear as we attempt to leave our comfort zone. For us entrepreneurs, leaving our comfort zone can (and should) be a daily occurrence!

“Leaving our comfort zone” used to mean leaving the safety of our caves. In a dangerous jungle, Lizard Brain reactions were not just appropriate, but mighty useful.

In the concrete jungle of today, Lizard Brain Fear is seldom warranted or helpful.

Seth Godin’s big message (for Linchpins and entrepreneurs) is to feel the fear and do it anyway.

I want to take things once step further with a practical technique for understanding and overcoming Lizard Brain Fear.

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I get to meet and hang out with a bunch of people who are teetering on the edge of the entrepreneurial dream.

They know that they want the freedom, wealth and happiness that small business success can bring. Some of them are keen to build an empire!

They also have read books that drill in the “be passionate about what you do” message.

Problem is, these people still end up utterly stuck and frustrated. Sound like someone you know (perhaps really well)?

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Beating procrastination starts and ends with your thinking. Let’s lose the intro and just get on with it:

1. Give yourself a real incentive

Working towards your ultimate business/life goals is tough going sometimes. Give your latest project a deadline and give yourself a tangible reward for achieving it. Anything from a snack to an overseas holiday works. Be strict.

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Who challenges you to be the very best… and then a little better?

For most people, it’s our spouse, parents, mentors, siblings or maybe even our boss.

I’ve been lucky enough to hang out with a small handful of super successful entrepreneurs. Plus, we’ve all read about the mega-stars – Richard Branson, Trump, Bill Gates, Buffet and more…

Yesterday I tweeted about the 5% of Branson’s day that makes him different from all the wannabes.

The reality? It’s probably more like 1% and it revolves around this simple principal:

Expect more from yourself than anyone else could possibly expect

You can and must challenge yourself to be better than the best.

Living up to someone else’s expectations sets your “personal best” right at the place where they get fulfillment, happiness and maybe wealth.

Do you want more?

Occasionally we stumble across the phenomenal.

An artist’s vision realized, a revolutionary product, music that changes you or perhaps coffee really worth talking about.

In this instance, it’s an extraordinary video that inspires. Take a two minute and seventeen second break to watch something that will change your entire day:

Told you…

I recently stumbled across a rare (and incredible) video interview (watch it below) of two of the most revolutionary, technological magicians of this age: Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Apple’s Steve Jobs.

Right at the end of the interview, an audience member asks for advice and both Gates and Jobs touch on an issue that is central, critical and revolutionary to every one of my clients, blog subscribers and friends.

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Hi faithful readers!

Just a very quick note to let you know of a fantastic opportunity for entrepreneurs that will pop up early next week…

I don’t often shout out recommendations or give advice, but there is an opportunity you really need to take advantage of. If you’re an entrepreneur (or wish you were), read on…

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Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning.

A man with a violin plays six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately two thousand people passed  through the station, most of them on their way to work.

After 3 minutes a middle-aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.  
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I’m always pushing my clients and readers (and myself) to shorten the gap between actually doing stuff (important business activity)… and just thinking about it.

As entrepreneurs, it’s a psychological game that we struggle with. The more “intellectual” our background, the more we tend to “plan” and over-analyse things before taking action.

Here’s a new angle you might not have considered: This Thinking-Action Gap affects our customers too!

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I’ve got a fantastic idea for my business. I bet you’ve got a couple too.

My idea is a stroke of marketing genius that could help me have fun connecting with a bunch of new clients… and earn a pile of well-deserved cash, quickly and easily.

… So today I got started on it by checking all my favourite news sites, making a snack and catching up with an old friend on the phone. Then it felt like I deserved to watch a little television.

Suddenly, what’s left of the day has gone. Business hours are over. As I drove home, I told myself I’ll get stuck in tomorrow, after a relaxing evening and a good nights sleep.

The Self Sabotage monster strikes again!

This article uncovers the psychology of self sabotage and gives you practical tips on how best to overcome it…

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