How I Conquer Fear

I will start by saying that fear is actually a great thing. Fear is how the brain awakens us to any dangers around us. Fear warns us when we are being reckless. Now let’s flip this on its’ head— I truly believe that fear is the enemy of success. How can we be successful in all areas of our lives if our minds are crippled by fear? I often think about what kind of potential we could unlock if we were able to quiet our fears down.

In the title of this article I’ve added that this is a work in progress for me because in all reality it is. In past blog posts I’ve shared about how I’ve let fear cripple me many times before. The key word here is “let”. I let it happen until one day I thought, “what will happen if I just work on shutting that fear off?”

I have not unlocked my full potential yet or “peaked” as some people describe it. But I will tell you that working on shutting down fear has brought me some of the greatest moments of my life. I used to put myself in a box daily and not do much outside of that box because I was so terrified about what would happen.

Today I’ll be sharing 3 things that I did/do that has helped me conquer my fears.

I got to know my fear

You might be thinking, “huh?” So let me say this— you can’t overcome a fear that you’re not familiar with. How do you stop something that you’re not even aware you’re doing? When we start to recognize that fear is keeping us from bigger and better opportunities and from taking leaps in life that is when we can stop those thoughts in their tracks.

Have you ever been caught in the following scenario (or a similar one)— you’re sitting at work and your boss calls you into her office and she explains that she is really impressed with the initiative you’ve been taking and she would like for you to head the sales (or whatever) department moving forward. This promotion comes with extra pay but also the extra responsibility. She promises you that this is a position that will definitely stretch you and take your career to the next level. All of a sudden, your stomach sinks and kind of hurts. You are sitting there; sweating, overthinking, your heart rate is up and to sum it up, you are fearful. We have all been caught in a similar situation as this and we might not have even realized it in the moment.

A great way to get to know your fear is keeping a journal. What patterns of thought do you notice? Does fear lead you in your decision making? Learning what your fears are will help you conquer them.

Think long-term

I have this little saying I say that goes like this, “The Izzy I am today, she is better than the Izzy I was yesterday. The Izzy I will be tomorrow, she will be better than the Izzy I am today”.  I’ve used this example several times at work and with friends and family.

The big question you should be asking yourself is, who do you want to be tomorrow? How about next year? How about in the next 5 years? When you’re about to make a decision or follow a path and you notice that fear is leading you or keeping you from diving into your dreams, consider the future at that moment. If you want to be the best version of yourself and achieve your highest potential then you cannot be lead by fear. Thinking about my long term goals and who I personally want to be is something that helps me conquer my fears on the daily.

Best outcome/Worst scenario

One of the best pieces of advice that I can give when it comes to conquering fear is to write down the best outcome scenario for a situation and the worst scenario for a situation. I do this several times a month when I have a big decision to make, or when I’m fearful of a decision. After writing the scenarios down, take some time to evaluate and find the source of where you fear is coming from. This exercise also helps you to realize that in most cases, the worst scenario is not so bad and should not be a deal breaker when it comes to jumping into something that might take you and your life to the next level.

I hope these steps help you in your journey to conquer your fears. Remember that fear is a basic human response and every single person experiences it. What truly matters is what you do with your fear.

What’s driving your life? You? or your fear?

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