Be honest…when was the last time you let fear take control?
Maybe it was with a financial decision. Maybe it was when you were trying to decide whether or not to post that caption. Maybe you were wondering if you should really charge that client the full cost of their services.
Here’s the thing: when you let fear take control, you put your own priorities in the backseat.
Why? Because—and chances are this will come as no surprise—fear-based decisions are ones you make out of fear instead of fact.
But fear is your unconscious trying to protect itself when you do something new or outside your comfort zone. It is, at the core, a safety mechanism. And if you want to achieve true success, sometimes you have to learn how to turn the fear off.
We get it. It might be tempting to let fear take control right now when the industry is in an evolution, to be 100%, it’s not what you need to rise to the top.
Let’s break down the questions to ask if you aren’t sure if your decision is fear-based or not, and our top three tips to move past fear and into success!
How to tell if you’re making a fear-based decision
Every time you feel like fear might be taking the wheel, ask yourself this:
Do I feel like something bad will happen if I don’t make this decision or choose the wrong option?
Be honest because whatever the answer is will help you gauge whether or not you’re basing your decision on fear or fact.
How to move past fear
Now that you know whether or not fear is steering your decisions, you can start to move past it.
Step 1 | Name the fear that’s holding you back.
Is it the fear of not having enough time? Money? Worrying about what other people will think of you?
Naming what you’re afraid of is simple yet incredibly freeing because once you identify it, it becomes less daunting and solutions begin to appear.
Step 2 | Make a contingency plan IF those fears come true
Listen, we can’t always predict what’s in the future, but having a backup plan for IF something bad were to happen can provide a lot of peace.
Sit down with a notebook and write out the what ifs of that fear. What could happen if you do X? What could happen if Y is the result? Then detail how you can respond to each situation.
Not a big fan of journaling? Talk it out with a mentor or coach to create an action plan. (Need a coach? Keep an eye on our Instagram because we’re dropping big news in the next month!)
Step 3 | Feel the fear and do it anyway
We get it. This is easy to say and can be incredibly difficult to put into practice.
But as much as possible, lean into the fear. Like we mentioned earlier, fear is typically the unconscious trying to protect itself. Generally, that means you’re doing something that you perceive as out of your comfort zone.
But—and lean in for the good stuff—that’s where the magic is.
The key to massive success is knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing and making fact- (not fear!)based decisions in all you do.
So acknowledge the fear. Name it. Lean into it. You’ve got this.
