Making Fear Your GPS Instead of Your Handbrake

You know the icy grip that hits when you're about to make a change—whether it’s launching a passion project, raising your hand in class, or just emailing someone intimidating. Maybe your hand hesitates over the mouse, a little sweat forms on your brow, and before you know it, you’re distracting yourself with anything but that next step. Fear, left alone, becomes an expert thief: it steals opportunities before you even try.

But here's a secret: naming the monster shrinks it. In practice, jotting each fear down in honest, plain language (as simple as 'I’ll look silly' or 'I might waste this money') quickly strips fear of its shadowy power. And counterbalancing each with realistic upsides—not the grand victories, but the practical stuff you stand to pick up even if things flop—shifts your internal narrative. Suddenly, you realize that the worst is rarely fatal. In fact, you’re likely to gain unexpected skills, resilience, or friendships, all from the act of trying.

There’s still that tension before action—that buzzing phone, the cold cup of coffee—reminding you that your nerves are real. But action, especially micro-action, is the antidote. Trying something tiny, like pressing send on an imperfect email or making that awkward introduction, is enough to break the paralysis. And if you stumble? Most people are too busy worrying about their own fears to remember yours for long. Behavioral science tells us this approach works because breaking worries into tangible pieces, and pairing each with a possible gain, rewires our risk calculus away from stopping and towards curiosity.

The next time you feel stuck, get brutally honest with yourself by writing down exactly what you’re afraid will happen, no matter how small or irrational. Next to each one, describe the very worst realistic outcome and then, without overthinking it, add what you’d gain or learn even if things went wrong. Now, circle the first step that feels ‘least bad’ and just do it, focusing on progress instead of perfection. Action—any action—shrinks fear’s hold. Try putting this into practice tonight with whatever’s currently holding you back.