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’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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Things going pear-shaped or “the $#*% hitting the fan” are a reality of being in business.

The way we deal with those crisis situations speaks volumes on our character. It is one of the big psychological differences that widens the gulf between successful and struggling entrepreneurs.

This super short article is guaranteed to give you a powerful,”take away” tool for transforming disaster scenarios.

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On a sunny day last week, I walked through the historic Sydney suburb of Glebe for no other purpose than to enjoy a cafe lunch and browse 2nd hand book stores.

What I was to discover, however, was startling proof of “The Entrepreneur’s Dilemma”.

This is a social-psychological phenomena that plagues innocent business owners – sowing the seeds of self-doubt and financial disaster.

Want to know what it is?

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There is a psychological “a-ha” (I call it a “Eureka” moment) that every successful entrepreneur just “gets” at some point in their career. Usually just before they absolutely master the science of achievement.

Thing is, it isn’t easy to “get”… it fact, it is one of the most painful lessons you’ll ever learn.

The secret lies in knowing this, expecting the hurt… and then going for it anyway. Really, the lesson is all about embracing pain.

Let me explain…

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That massive thing that you’ve been contemplating?

Yeah, you know the one. That huge thing you’ve been procrastinating – hiding from even? (let’s be honest)

I know it’s scary… so much to be gained… and yet if you were to screw up and fail it could really hurt!

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When launching a new business, project or idea I believe every switched on entrepreneur should work hard to fail as quickly as possible.

“What?!” I hear you ask…

Yes, Failure  (with a big F) is the new success! It is, in fact, often more useful to fail than be successful. Let me explain why…

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There is one technique that stands out from all the rest. The world’s most successful entrepreneurs and business people often share this strategy in common.

It isn’t an NLP technique or some other kind of tool (in fact, it’s hardly psychological). Read on to find out…

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We’ve established that the biggest obstacle most people face, when it comes to setting a new direction for life and work, is fear.

Even when you’re totally prepared and ready to get decisive and take action, a little knot of terror in your stomach usually remains. So let’s find out how to get rid of it…

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Whether you’re giving up a secure job to do what you love, or creating any major change for yourself, there is one psychological secret you need to “get”.

This post (and the series that  follow it) provides insights into overcoming the psychological obstacle that pops up when we humans start getting ambitious. Read on for practical tools to overcome this and the more subtle self-sabotage techniques like procrastination and analysis paralysis.

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