June 14, 2022

Hi Tina,

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by fear—so much so that it prevented you from doing something you wanted to do? Believe it or not, this is a common problem faced by many people every single day.

Fear has the power to hold you back from taking risks, following your dreams or becoming successful at anything you attempt to do. If you allow it to control you for long enough, it can eventually erode your quality of life and keep you locked in a prison of inactivity.

What many people fail to realize is that fear is nothing more than a conditioned response. It's a natural reaction to a frightening or unfamiliar situation. While it is usually automatic, there are things you can do to overcome it. Here are three…

Check Your Expectations

One major contributor of fear is the prevalence of negative expectations. Do you usually find yourself expecting the worst in every situation? Do you worry obsessively about what could go wrong, rather than focusing on your strengths and capabilities?

If you make a conscious effort to expect the best, see the positive side of each situation and keep reminding yourself that you can handle more than you think, you'll find yourself with much less fear to deal with. Even if feelings of fear do manage to creep into your consciousness, you'll still be able to keep them in perspective and balance them against an underlying sense of confidence.

Discredit Your Fears

Experts will tell you that the majority of things you fear will never come to pass anyway. While this may be true, it sure doesn't feel that way when fear has a chokehold on you! However, if you look a little more closely at your fears when they arise, you may be able to dismiss at least a few.

For example, if you have a fear of public speaking but you want to give a presentation at your local Chamber of Commerce, you might feel like your entire business reputation is on the line. You may fear stumbling over your words or worry that your colleagues will lose respect for you if you don't do a good job.

But is any of this likely to happen? In most cases, no. Rather than spend your time worrying about what "might" happen if you don't give a solid presentation, spend it brainstorming ways to help improve your performance, such as being well prepared, practicing your delivery on friends and family members, writing notes to yourself and so on.

Do the Very Thing You Fear

When you remember that fear is simply a feeling, it loses much of its power. It can't harm you. Except in truly threatening situations, you can choose to ignore it and move forward anyway.

If you weigh the pros and cons in any situation, you may decide that the possibility of negative consequences is minimal so there's nothing to stop you from ignoring your fear and going for it!

You will determine this on a case-by-case basis, of course. The point isn't to become reckless with your decision-making but rather to empower yourself to know when a fear is groundless and easily overcome.

Author’s content used under license, © Claire Communications

To your success,

Tina Asher
Business/Career Coach • Trainer • Author
Build U Up Consulting

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A former boss of mine required all of her Account Executives to read this book.  At the time we weren’t thrilled to add another thing to our “have to do” list, but after reading it, it was well worth the time. Treat yourself to a quick and easy read that will touch your soul. 

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Tina Asher
Career Coach • Trainer • Author

With 20+ years in leading, training, sales management, and coaching, Tina Asher brings a broad skillset to helping busy professionals elevate their success. She holds certifications with one of the world's leading sources for science-based, validated assessment and coaching tools. Tina is passionate about serving others to reach their full potential while balancing a full and productive life.

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