Despite months of study, are you afraid to write your PMP(r), exam? Do you feel anxious, nervous, or afraid about the 4 hour exam? Are you unsure if you are ready to take this exam? Or how do you know?
Let me begin by saying that your fears are not real.
I will repeat it again: Your fears don’t exist.
Fear is something we all share a love-hate relationship with. Fear keeps us alive on the one hand. Fear would make us all run onto busy roads and jump off buildings. Fear, on the other hand, can stop us from pursuing our goals or stepping outside of our comfort zones.
What is fear, then?
Understanding fear can help you overcome it. Understanding anything makes it less frightening.
Fear is a scenario that you imagine in your head and feels real. It can feel so real that you almost feel like it is part of you.
You need to realize that your fears are not yours.
One of my good friends once said to me that FEAR stood for Fictional Events Appearing Real.
Fear is simply a poor management of our mental faculties. Fear is not an impulsive physical reaction in the brain, although it may appear that way at times.
To master your mind, you must separate from your fears.
Recognize when your fears are speaking to your ears and say “thanks” before letting your fears go.
Your fears will come back to you with more force if you don’t resist them. Before you know it your worst fears have manifested themselves in the power you have given them.
Our brains have become very adept at avoiding pain throughout evolution. Even though it may help us grow, Fears feed off our brain’s desire to avoid pain, as we associate painful events with the goal we are trying to achieve. This happens in two ways.
Process pain
Einstein once stated, “The definition of madness is repeating the same thing over and again expecting different results.”
We want to grow, but we are afraid of trying something new, because it will be painful.
The person who wants to quit smoking does not think about how they can breathe easier and live healthier. Instead, s/he is focused on the process of quitting the addictive behavior, the painful withdrawals, and the uncontrollable shakings.
Even though it would be beneficial to change, it doesn’t happen because someone is afraid of the process.
It is difficult to make changes in any area. Change is difficult. It is difficult to do something new.
It can be difficult to make the necessary changes in your daily routine to study for the PMP(r). I will be the first to admit that the PMP(r), while it is a challenging process, is not the most enjoyable.
You may use the following phrases during the process:
“There are too many things that I need to learn.”
“The process seems too difficult.”
“I don’t know when I will have the time.”
“This will take too much time.”

You will never accomplish anything if you are focusing on all the things we need to do.
How to manage process pain
Part of mastering your mind is to see changes and challenges as opportunities we can joyfully enter.
You must take control of your thoughts and tell yourself that the challenge is good. You will grow and reach your full potential if you embrace challenge. It can be fun and engaging to reach your goals.
Instead of focusing on what you will lose, think about what you will gain from the process. We can change our lives by changing our narrative.
Overcome the pain
Outcome pain is the second type of fear. Outcome pain occurs when someone thinks, “What if I do all the work to change but end up right back where I started?” What if the grass isn’t greener on the other side?