Just do it – even in the face of fear

“Fearlessness is not the absence of fear. It's the mastery of fear. It's about getting up one more time than we fall down.” - Arianna Huffington

Introduction:

You know that thing when you buy a new car or are thinking of buying, and suddenly you see that make and model everywhere. And you’d swear you’ve never even noticed that make and model of car before.

Well, this has happened to me recently with the topic of getting over fear. I’m seeing stories, podcasts and articles about it everywhere.

So much so, that I’ve been consistently inspired to take action on doing the things that will move me and my business forward.

When putting down some ideas for this blog post, the fear factor was the one that stood out. So, please stick around for a quick dive, into the face of fear…

What is fear?

There are two types of fear. There is fear that keeps us physically safe, which is the keeping your distance from the edge of a cliff type of fear. And there’s the imagined, egoic fear, which is where the mind is attempting to keep us psychologically safe.

But the weird thing is, they feel the same. And you could even argue that egoic fear can be considerably worse. After all, why would 75% of people across a range of studies say that they fear public speaking more than they fear death?

Fear is there to keep us safe. The problem is, that egoic fear can get in the way of making real progress in business, as there’s little growth without stepping into the fear zone. Some fear-inducing examples would include –

• Giving notice and leaving a secure job to launch your own business.

• Putting your signature to a lease, to invest in expansion.

• Making that new hire.

• Or picking up the phone to sell.

How do we overcome fear?

The first step to overcoming fear is self-awareness. Asking questions such as –

• What is my identity around this fear?

• What do I believe is true about myself in this situation?

This is important as we never exceed or outperform our self-identity. Self-identity is like a default setting, you will always guide yourself back to that level.

But our self-identity is constantly changing, and with some inner understanding and redirection, we can change it to whatever the hell we like.

The second step is acceptance. Get comfortable with accepting the fact that you’re uncomfortable. Lean into it, acknowledge it, and allow yourself to feel it. It’s yours, own it.

Fear can only persist when we resist.

Step three is to be present in the moment, which means not thinking ahead, and detach yourself from the outcome. With public speaking, I also needed to let go of trying to be perfect and not trying to remember every written word of a speech.

Of course, all this must start with a choice. A goal. A plan. An intention.

If you look at the word intention and break it down, it says in-tension. Intention requires tension, and in tension is where growth occurs.

So make a choice, and put in the reps. Take consistent, imperfect action. Anything you do repeatedly changes your self-identity.

What do you gain from navigating your way through fear?

Everything you want that is better than where you are now is on the other side of fear. When you let go and take bold action to move ahead, you move into a space that allows things to happen. A chance meeting, seeing something for the first time (which was always there, to begin with), a new connection.

Navigating fear is not linear, there’s no straight line through it. It may take several attempts or more but remain aware, observe your thoughts, and notice what your self-identity is saying.

So, let me leave you with this question.

What would you do if you were not afraid?

Finding the answer to that might just be your next big move, or at least point you in the right direction.