How to Prepare for Fear

Dr. Susan Baili says in her book Live a Life You Love: 7 Steps to a Healthier, Happier, More Passionate You”  that when embarking on a goal we must prepare to be afraid. When an opportunity that you want arrives, you might feel pangs of fear. This is not a signal that you will fail; it’s a natural reaction to something new.

Dr. Baili says she uses the fear to congratulate herself: “Well done! Fear means you’re getting closer your big dream.” This calms her down immediately.

I tried this today  on a big life goal and it worked. Not only did it calm me down enough to commit to my dream, after I  committed to the dream I felt relieved.

When an opportunity shows itself and you are afraid, you might also try thinking of a time when you did succeed at something similar. For example, during my first few weeks as an undergraduate, far away from family for the first time, I was nervous and cried a few times. To cope, I began to think of university as summer camp, as if my sister was in the next dorm and it would all be over in a week. I would think of each month in small, week-by-week  chunks. Eventually, a couple of months would roll by, my new surroundings were increasingly familiar and I felt at home.

Today, remind yourself that fear sometimes comes with a desired opportunity. This fear signals that you are reaching the next level of your goals.