How to Never Let Fear Hold You Back Again What makes the difference depends on your reaction and response to the fear.
By Matt Mayberry Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Nothing holds people back from tapping into their full potential and becoming the best version of themselves more than fear. Fear shatters dreams, prevents organizations from achieving major breakthroughs and is the root cause as to why so many end up going to their grave with all of their talents, hopes and wishes still unexpressed.
Related: Tim Ferriss's 7-Step Checklist for Overcoming Fear
Whether it is the fear of public speaking, fear of pursuing an enormous dream, of failure or of what others may think of you, it's not actual fear that is holding you back. It's the made-up story that you continually tell yourself about the fear that is stealing your happiness, your peace of mind and your ability to unleash an unlimited amount of potential into the world.
Fear itself, of course, is normal. When you set out to pursue your deepest desires and live a bold life, it's completely natural for fear to creep in and scare you from time to time. What makes all the difference as to whether your fears paralyze you or catapult you to new heights depends on your reaction and response to the fear.
There have been many times in my life when fear held me back. The experience I remember most was getting hurt in my very first game in the NFL. I was playing for my hometown team the Chicago Bears and living a dream of mine that I had desperately wanted since I was a little kid. In the blink of an eye, however, I lost my dream and was left broken-hearted and emotionally crushed.
Fear attacked me from all different sides. Not only did it get the best of me, but it also dominated every thought, action and belief I had at the time.
I was officially a victim of my circumstances. The fear of the unknown, of failure and of what others thought of me caused me to go into severe depression and lock myself in my room for weeks. Fortunately, I was able to overcome that dark period of my life where fear was the main driver of my destiny.
I still get scared all the time. Fear still creeps into my life on a daily basis multiple times throughout the day. The only difference now is that I know how to never let fear defeat me and prevent me from living courageously.
Here are two ways that will help you to never let fear hold you back again.
1. Feel the fear and do it anyway.
Fear can only win and get the best of you if you don't take action and push forward. One of the easiest things that you can do to ensure that you never let fear hold you back from this point moving forward is to feel the fear and do the task anyways. As soon as you feel the fear, take action and get moving as quickly as possible.
Unlike what a lot of people think, you don't need to have everything figured out and know every little detail before you get moving. It's great to prepare and have a plan, but once you do everything in your power to put yourself in a position to win, the next step is to become obsessed with taking action.
Related: Do Effective Leaders Use Fear or Love in the Workplace?
Regardless of what type of fear we are talking about, when you make it a habit to "feel the fear and do it" anyways, you not only build self-confidence, you also gain incredible strength little by little. Amazing things begin to take place for those who feel the fear and still take massive action.
2. Change your personal philosophy on failure.
Even though I have been referring to all kinds of fears leading up this point, the fear of failure is the one fear that inhibits most from going after what they really want and breaking free from the chains of mediocrity. When you start to view failure as a blessing in disguise and an opportunity to help mold you into the person you need to become, your life will never be the same again.
As I state in this short video clip from a recent keynote that I gave to a large group of leaders, the best of the best view failure and adversity as a tremendous gift.
The tough times are there only to help us become the best version of ourselves. When you make this mental shift and change your personal philosophy on failure, the fear of failure will never hold you back again.
Related: How to Overcome Fear and Find Motivation
When you start to become intentional in your actions and do something each and every day that takes you out of your comfort zone, fear has absolutely no chance of winning. Live boldly!
