Author, speaker, business coach and podcast host Christy Wright explains why the antidote to fear is action. So don't let fear stop you; whatever it is you want to do, just do it scared.Hear Christy's full interview in Episode 188 of The Action Catalyst.
the number one thing that you will experience that will hold you back is fear. The number one thing. Now, when you're in the workplace, it may be a different type of fear and that voice of fear might be a little bit different.
So for example, when you're doing your own business, if you had a side business or small business that you want to start, the voice might say something like, "...who are you to do this?" someone's doing it better. There's no room for you in the marketplace.
Now, when you're in a work environment, a professional environment, and you want to launch a new project or you want to pitch an idea to your leadership team, then the voice might say something like, everyone's going to make fun of you. What are people going to think? Who do you think you are to try to lead this? Someone else is already in that position. That's not in your job description.
So the voice might say something different. I want to be clear there. Depending on the situation that you're in, the root of the problem is the same. You're going to experience fear. And fear is very normal anytime that you're doing something new. You're going to have fear creep up and it will torment you with these terrifying possibilities of what's going to happen if you do it.
You're going to fail. People will make fun of you. You're going to be embarrassed. You're going to post something on Facebook and no one's going to like it. You're going to be a fool. And so when this fear gets really loud, that's where most people get stuck. Because most people believe that fear is a sign you're doing something bad. It means it's a red flag. So you should turn back now.
If I was supposed to do this, it would be easy. I wouldn't be scared. But I would say the opposite is true. Fear isn't a sign you're doing something bad. I think it's a sign you're doing something bold. And I think that is a good thing. And even very, very successful people... are scared.
Many successful people that are well-known celebrities and athletes have suffered from the imposter syndrome, which is the syndrome that says, who are you to do this? You don't deserve to be here. People like Maya Angelou, Kate Winslet, Michael Jordan, talk about this fear of failure, this fear of not being good enough to do the thing that they're doing.
And so I just encourage people, the antidote to fear is action. The best thing you can do when you're scared is to take action, is to step into that fear. I tell people all the time, don't wait until you're not scared to do the thing you want to do. Do it scared because that feeling may never come. I've been scared plenty of times, but I still walk on the stage even though I'm scared.
So what is that that you want to do? Is it a project you want to launch? Is it a new initiative at work that you want to lead? You want to raise your hand and say, I think it's time for me to lead this thing. Is it starting growing a team from the ground up? Maybe pitching a really big client at work? Maybe it's starting a side or small business.
Whatever that thing is, don't wait until you're not scared to do it. Do it scared. It's interesting because if fear can get so loud and terrify you with these possibilities of what will happen, and then you stay stuck and you never do anything, then you continue to believe that story that you're telling yourself like, Oh, I couldn't do it because it was so big.
It turns into this excuse that you justify being stuck. But the truth is, and that's the reason I say, the antidote to fear is action. Because the best way to make that fear shut up is to do it. Then fear can't torment you with these terrifying possibilities. What will happen if you do it? Because you did it and you survived.
And it's the best way to make fear stop taunting you is when you actually just step into it and do the thing anyway.