Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway
Have you ever felt that pull to do something new? Maybe it starts as a small thought at first, or that feeling in your gut that is telling you to pay attention. Perhaps it is a career change that you are seeking, or , starting a project, do you want to explore the world and move to a new city - but, fear is holding you back? You know that feeling…it’s that uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach, racing thoughts filled with doubts, it’s that little voice telling you to stay where it is safe………………….
Fear is a natural response to the unknown, but it’s also the gatekeeper for growth. The biggest breakthroughs in life come when we step beyond our comfort zones, despite our fear.
In this post, we’ll explore why taking a chance is often the best thing you can do, how your body reacts to fear, and why staying comfortable could be the biggest way to sabotage yourself.
Fear triggers a survival response in your brain. When faced with uncertainty, your amygdala (the fear centre of your brain) signals danger, even if the situation isn’t truly life threatening. This can manifest various physical responses such as,
Increased heart rate - your body is preparing for action, fight or flight.
Shallow breathing - A common response to stress which can be managed through breathwork.
Negative self talk - Your brain may start listing all the ways something could go wrong or, replay past experiences.
Desire to retreat - The brain loves familiarity, so it tries to pull you back into what feels safe.
But here’s the thing - Your brain is just trying to protect you, even when you don’t need protecting! Understanding this helps you push forward instead of retreating.
Fear Is Not a Stop Sign - It’s a Green Light
Fear is often a sign to stop. It’s your body’s way of keeping you safe. In dangerous situations, that fear can keep you safe from threats. Preservation, is our natural instinct.
But fear, when it comes to personal development, can also signal that perhaps, something meaningful is up ahead. Every great success story involves someone who took a chance, despite uncertainty. When you move forward in the face of fear, you build resilience, confidence, and the ability to handle whatever comes next.
The Advantages of Taking a Leap
Personal Growth - The more you challenge yourself, the more you grow. Think about those times you sat out an activity because you were scared of heights, or those times you said no to going on vacation because you had to go alone. By forging ahead, despite feeling scared, you develop new skills, new perspectives, and strengths you never knew you had.
Increased Confidence - Every time you step into something new, you prove to yourself that you are capable. Often, your limitations come from your internal belief that you “can’t do that” or it may be supported by hearing outsiders critique or repeat the same message, so much so that, you end up believing it! Overcoming these challenges is part of your growth. Confidence isn’t built by staying safe, or remaining complaint to old ways of thinking and other people’s expectations of you.
New Opportunities - The best opportunities often exist outside your comfort zone. Fear can often trap you in the security of what you know. People need consistency to feel safe. It’s why most people will stay in the job they hate for years, rather than step out into the unknown and search for a better opportunity. Saying yes to the unknown will open doors you never imagined. Yes, it feels scary to jump but without leaping, you will never know how wonderful the journey may be.
Overcoming regret - Most people regret the chances they didn’t take, not the ones they did. Taking leaps doesn’t mean that things will always work out perfectly. Sometimes, taking a chance may not be how you envisioned things at all, but there is always an opportunity to learn, to grow and to get better with every experience you said yes to. Even when things don’t work out, you learn, you get better and you can try again with more knowledge that you had the first time.
Freedom from Fear - The more you face your fears, the less control they have over you. This doesn’t mean you act with reckless abandon. Facing your fears doesn’t mean you throw caution to the wind! You can start with small acts, like going to the movies by yourself, or finally taking that pilates class you have been admiring at your local gym. As you build up your confidence and resilience, you start to see fear as a challenge rather than a roadblock.
“We sabotage the great things in our lives because deep down we don’t feel worthy of having the great things.”
Comfort zones feel safe, but they can also become cages. When you stay in familiar territory, you avoid risk, but we also avoid growth. While you remain safe in your patterns and routines you are holding yourself back from reaching your full potential. This self-sabotage can take form in numerous ways and keep you locked in your safe cage.
You tell yourselves you’re not ready - truthfully, you will never be 100% ready for something new. Most people go into the unknown with some kind of fear and trepidation. That is exactly how it’s supposed to be. Growth happens in the doing.
You overthink and talk yourself out of it - Fear will naturally make you over analyze and overthink. Your mind will race with inventive ways on how something can go horribly wrong. Catastrophising will manifest feelings of anxiety and uncertainty, which keep you rooted in the safety of the known.
You let past failures define you - Just because something didn’t work before doesn’t mean it won’t work now. Successful people let failures become teachers. They allow their mistakes to be lessons and use those lessons to navigate new paths and processes. When you accept that failures don’t define you as a person, you become more empathic to yourself, learn to reflect and act in ways that encourage growth while remaining true to your authentic being.
You wait for the right time - Just like waiting until you are ready, there will never be an exact time. You can certainly analyse your personal circumstances and decide when a good time to act is. However, working towards a goal should not have a set start date - you can be actively working on something for months before you take that leap.
So, how do you push through and take that leap?
It’s important to acknowledge your feelings. Self reflection is a wonderful tool which can help you to monitor your state and analyze your emotional and physical wellbeing.
Rather than pushing your feelings aside, sit with them. Could you acknowledge them and write down a breakdown of your current state? This is the time when you evaluate your situation and can lay down a plan to help you break through your fears. If you need support, seek it. You don’t have to go through it alone.
Instead of focusing on the bigger picture, or the big unknown, take one small step forward. Break down your execution into smaller tasks. Taking action, actually reduces fear and by taking smaller, manageable steps, you will reduce your feelings of overwhelm and anxiety.
A key aspect of pushing through the scare barrier is being able to reframe failure in your mind. Most people see failure as an ending rather than a learning. Sometimes, failure is actually pushing us in the right direction. If you can evaluate and learn where you went wrong the first time, why not try again? This time, avoiding the same actions and reinventing your strategy. This requires a level of self-awareness you need to master and the leverage of using fear as fuel. Let the fear of staying the same be greater than the fear of change.
The Life You Want Is on the Other Side of Fear
Everything you’ve ever wanted - confidence, growth, new experiences, fulfillment, exists just beyond the edge of your comfort zone. The fear won’t disappear, but you don’t have to let it stop you. Feel it, acknowledge it, and take the step anyway.
The life of your dreams is waiting for you to be brave enough to step into it.
