The #1 Way to Self-Lead Fear

Looking to be fearless? 

With so much unknown in our lives, it is understandable that you would seek a faster, more streamlined way to navigate this. Yet, honestly, not having fear is actually more of a negative in your life than being a bit scared!

You need a sprinkle of fear to create an edge, to navigate and measure growth, to reach and respond. Fear is what keeps things spicy. The relationship that you have with your trigger points is what you want to shift, not necessarily the fears themselves. Fearing less so that you can accomplish more is an essential mindset reset tool in order to redirect and own your fears.

The #1 way to fear less and uncover and lead what scares you is to become a fear architect. If you build it, you drive it. Here are four ways to do so right now.

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Face it to free it. 

Curate a new fear habit and a new fear language to support it. This begins with your commitment to grab control of your fears back. You can be led by fear or choose to lead your fears. Which do you think will get you the results that you seek?

Imagine giving in to your fears. How does that make you feel? Now imagine that you take action despite your fears. What shifts? Create a habit of writing down what scares you in a fear journal.

Next, create an action step that you can take in the next 24 hours that will circumvent that fear. Scale small if you need to. The important thing is that you take the risk and do it anyway. Once completed, check your accomplishment off in your daily fear journal and document what is now possible because of this new bold step you took.

Facing your fears every day validates them and in turn allows you to actually unlock them. Once unlocked, limiting beliefs and fears cannot trap you. By admitting to them and poking holes in them, you challenge them and grow away from them rather than toward them.

If you face it to free it, you limit less so that you can be more limitless. The daily results of this are that you can now grab back control of your fears by taking small actionable steps despite them. You design what you want by letting choice in. A true architect in action!

Anticipate difficult situations before they happen.

What is the worst thing that could happen? Reverse engineer from there. Make a list of the negative possibilities so that you can rewrite your story. Recite your list out loud and then toss it out.

This act of imagining your worst-case scenario supports you in making sure that this does not happen. Follow up your “what if” list of negatives with a new list of all the brilliant and positive things that can now happen. Step into your new list by intersecting your calendar with the newly-anticipated outcomes.

Constructing what you do want often comes from understanding what you do not. What do you now get to do?

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Shut down the enemy within.

Replace negative self-talk and zapped energy with kinder, more inspiring affirmatives. You deserve the same respect and care that you afford to others. Nurturing yourself is not the afterthought you may be making it, but rather it is the foundation of the relationships you have with others.

How you treat yourself is how you lead yourself. How you lead yourself is how you show up for everything and everyone else in your life. Shutting down anything less than inspiring sets the tone for how you anticipate, deal with, and build out your business and your personal life.

24-hour it.

Fear comes alive in the past and in the future. Today is your sweet spot for being an effective fear architect. When stuck or holding yourself back, release the fear and let go of what is triggering your response by asking yourself a simple question:

What can I do right now, what can I build?

Then do that thing. One small thing. Right now. Every next begins with a step. That step cannot be taken yesterday or tomorrow. Your only power is in today.

Using the moment elevates energy and allows in opportunity that is often left out when one is busy dealing with fear. Refocusing whatever challenges you as an opportunity in the now affords you space and grace to unravel and unfold the fears at hand, replacing them with small, meaningful possibilities.

[Related: Don't Like Your Seat? Pick a New One.]

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As a transitional life strategist and reinvention expert, Randi Levin supports founders, emerging entrepreneurs, and women in various life transitions in redefining success and legacy as power tools for change.