| Your Future |
When people allow themselves to dream of the life they want, many times the dream only goes as far as a wish. So, the question is what stops people from going for their dreams. I believe the answer is fear. Fear can be lifesaving. It’s there to protect us, but sometimes (a lot of the time) instead of protecting us it holds us back.
Everyone Experiences Fear
There was a time in my life when I felt like I was the only one afraid of things like giving a speech or trying something new. Slowly, I began to understand I wasn’t different. Everyone has fear sometimes, but some people take action despite fear and some people let fear stop them from ever trying.
Fear is Our Brain Trying to Protect Us
Fear is a survival mechanism that comes from a part of our brain called the amygdala. It’s our brain trying to protect us either from a real danger or from an imagined danger. When there is a real threat like a tornado heading toward you, it makes sense to listen to fear and try to protect yourself. The problem comes when there is something that conjures fear that’s not a real physical threat. Something that stretches you to do something you haven’t ever done. Something where there is a chance you might fail. Something that makes you wonder what others might think of you. Your well meaning brain registers those things as threats, fills you with fear, and tries to keep you in your safe comfort zone. When you give in, you don’t go for goals, you pass on opportunities, and you don’t learn and grow.
Trevor Ragan does an excellent job of explaining why we have fear and how to take action and opportunities despite it in his TEDx talk… https://www.ted.com/talks/trevor_ragan_how_to_overcome_fear
Take Action Despite Fear
Feeling fear is part of being human, but don’t allow it to stop you from going for the life you want. A key to achieving your goals and dreams is learning how to move forward despite fear. When fear pops up, taking a tiny step toward a goal can feel more like an enormous leap, but don’t let fear hold you back from opportunities and going for your heart’s desire. Realize fear will never go away completely, but learning to get comfortable with being uncomfortable and taking action while feeling fear will get easier with practice. It will open up opportunities you might miss out on otherwise and allow you to learn and grow in ways you wouldn’t if you gave into fear and stayed in your comfort zone.
Tips for Taking Action Despite Feeling Fear
- As you set goals and plan your future, check in often to see if you’re allowing fear to hold you back.
- When you feel fear and you’re not in physical danger, remember it’s a sign your stretching yourself to something greater.
- Acknowledge the fear, thank your brain for trying to protect you, but remind yourself there is no physical threat and the only way to grow, learn, and accomplish big goals is to get out of your comfort zone.
- Write down what it is you are afraid of and ask yourself what’s the worst that could really happen… For example, you might fail, but look at failure as an opportunity to learn and try again with gained knowledge. Another example might be that people may criticize you. Well, no matter what you do, every person will not like it, and that’s okay.
- Break what you’re doing into the tiniest steps possible and just concentrate on accomplishing one step at a time.
- When you’re taking action while feeling fear, practice deep breathing and focus on your breath.
- Remind yourself that the more you experience moving through actions with uncomfortable feelings, the easier it will get. Go for it despite the fear. Allow the fear, keep moving, and, if you need a little extra encouragement, play Dave Matthews Band’s You Might Die Tryin!
By remembering it’s normal to feel fear when stretching and going for something big, you’ll find it’s easier to achieve your goals and reach the life of your dreams.
What are some strategies you’ve used to take action despite fear? Share them below!