1. Why am I moving fast?
The secret to beating fear? Expose it.
The secret to exposing fear? Recognize when it has taken over.
Humans are the only creatures that go faster when they're afraid.
Feel like you're in a frantic state? Take notice.
Take power by pausing.
2. What am I avoiding?
To face fear, you have to name fear.
Fear regularly manifests as something else:
- Dull, persistent dread
- Exhaustion
- Procrastination
- Generalized anxiety
But there's always something specific you're avoiding.
Identifying it = overcoming it.
3. What's really at stake for me?
A good rule of thumb: what you think you're afraid of isn't it.
There's something larger at stake, an internal declaration of your worth:
- I'm a failure
- I'll be alone and unloved
- I'm not enough
Confront the personal stakes.
4. Who told me to be afraid?
Fear is a learned behavior.
Someone told you to be afraid. Fact check them:
- Who are they?
- Do they know me?
- Are they a credible source?
- Do they live a life I want to emulate?
To unlearn fear, you have to face off against your teacher.
5. What action can I take?
Fear is a perceived lack of control.
A feeling of control is recaptured when you exercise agency.
Victim Mindset = Paralysis = Out of Control
Agency = Action = In Control
Intentionally script the action you want to take.
Then, take it.
6. What can I learn?
A learning mindset adds objectivity to the emotional.
Framed correctly, the opportunity to learn offers instant upside.
Regardless of the outcome, you will learn:
- Your motivations
- Your capabilities
- Your limitations
Harvest the knowledge.
7. How can this help me later?
Learning is easy. Remembering is hard.
When you break through fear, document it.
Record:
- Fears you've faced
- Beliefs you've uncovered
- Actions you've taken
- Lessons you've learned
The best playbook is the one you write for yourself.
To recap, use these 7 questions to overcome fear:
1. Why am I moving fast?
2. What am I avoiding?
3. What's really at stake for me?
4. Who told me to be afraid?
5. What action can I take?
6. What can I learn?
7. How can this help me later?
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@wdmorrisjr
Super helpful! What is at stake is a great question to reframe. Often fears happens when we build the stakes up to be higher than they are.
@wdmorrisjr
"Humans are the only creatures that go faster when they're afraid.
Take power by pausing."
Great thread, David! So true.
Sometimes you've got to slow down to speed up.
@wdmorrisjr
@blakeaburge
Fantastic list David.
When we lean into "What am I avoiding?" we always find that it is our subconscious pointing us in the direction of growth.
It may be masked by struggle, but it is where we need to go.