How to Overcome Your Fears

We all have fears. They look different for each of us, but none of us is free of them. It might be the fear of starting a business, fear of heights, fear of winning, or fear of losing. Do not assume that the people you see in the media (celebrities, highly successful entrepreneurs, athletes, and the rest) live without fear.

What separates a successful person from an average one is how you react when you face your fears, or when you avoid them.

The problem with having fears and never overcoming them is not that they exist. Fear is essential. It keeps you safe in extreme stress or real danger. It is a natural mechanism that has helped preserve the human species. The problem is that it can freeze you and stop you from growing. That is why I have worked hard on my own fears with techniques often called “Brain Hacks.” They help you overcome your fears and keep expanding.

1- Drop the negativity

You need the right mindset before you face a fear. I have shared several tips I use in other articles, because it matters that you understand this: fears live in your head. When your mind is calm and positive, you are already one step closer to overcoming them.

2- Understand your fear and accept it

Fear exists to keep us safe. It is neither bad nor good. It is a tool that helps us make better decisions. It is not designed to keep us inactive. It is designed to help us act in ways that create the results we need and want without taking risks we cannot afford. Accept fear as information. Let it inform your actions, but do not let it control them.

3- Put yourself in the shoes of someone who already did it

I always ask myself the same two questions when fear shows up. 1) Who has already done the thing I am afraid to do? 2) If they could do it, then I can too. People often believe every human is completely unique. In practice that is not true. The world shares many of the same fears, the same thoughts, and the same preferences. You are not the only person doing something, saying something, or thinking something. Once you get that, dropping one more fear is another step toward becoming someone different and truly unique.

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4- Understand the source of the fear

I have overcome my fears in the past by analyzing them critically. I try to identify the source of the fear so I can test how real the problem actually is. I recently started making videos and putting myself in front of an audience, so I had to overcome my fear of other people’s judgment. Once I named the fear, I saw that the source was not reasonable. I will never please everyone, so I focus on the people who listen, understand, and care about my message. The same approach applies when I face a challenge or fear in business. I look for the root of the problem. When I identify the source and examine it carefully, I can move through the challenge and deliver on what I committed to.

5- Just do it

It sounds simple, but the faster you finish the thing that scares you, the faster it is over and you can move on. Most anxiety and fear come from anticipation, not from the activity itself. If you stress about something that has not happened yet, you are stressing twice as much as you need to. Stop thinking about it and overthinking it. Do it now. When you are done and it went well, you will see that you can do it again without the same fear.

6- Perseverance

If you did not face the fear on the first try, keep going until you do. Perseverance matters for any entrepreneur in business, and it matters just as much for anyone working to overcome a fear.

7- Get help

If you need someone to support you, do not be afraid to ask. Some fears require emotional backup from a friend, a stranger, a relative, or a colleague so you can face them with courage. If you believe facing it with someone else would help, ask.

8- Visualize the worst-case scenario

Ask yourself one important question: What is the worst that can happen? I can assure you that in 98% of cases the answer puts everything in perspective, and you realize the worst outcome is not nearly as terrible as it felt.

 

There are other “tricks” that can help you drop fear, but these are the ones that have usually worked best with my clients, my family, and myself.