Are you feeling the fear?
Many of us spend a surprising amount of time waiting to feel ready.
We wait until we’re more confident before speaking up in a meeting. We wait until we’re less nervous before making a presentation. We wait until our fear disappears before pursuing a new opportunity. The problem is that confidence rarely comes first.
One of the biggest misconceptions about fear is that successful people don’t experience it. In reality, most people who achieve meaningful goals feel fear just like everyone else. The difference is that they take action despite it.
Fear thrives in uncertainty and imagination. The longer we think about a challenge without acting, the larger it can become in our minds. Action, however, has a way of shrinking fear. Each small step provides evidence that we are more capable than we thought.
Consider someone with a fear of public speaking. They may avoid presentations for years because they feel anxious. Yet confidence doesn’t arrive by avoiding the situation. It develops by speaking to a small group, then a larger one, and gradually discovering that nervousness doesn’t prevent success. What once felt overwhelming becomes manageable through experience.
The same principle applies in our careers. Imagine an employee who has always wanted to apply for a leadership role but doubts whether they are ready. They can spend months analysing their shortcomings, or they can submit the application. Even if they don’t secure the role immediately, they gain valuable feedback, experience and insight that moves them closer to their goal.
In both examples, action comes before confidence.
This doesn’t mean taking reckless risks. It means recognising that growth exists on the other side of discomfort. Every time we take a small step toward something that scares us, we expand our comfort zone and build resilience.
The next time fear appears, try asking yourself a different question. Instead of “How do I stop feeling afraid?”, ask “What’s the smallest action I can take right now?”
How many times have you tried this approach, or encouraged your children to try it, and then realised ‘that wasn’t so bad!’?
What will you try next?
