1⃣ Why am I moving fast?
The secret to beating fear?
👉🏻 Expose it.
The secret to exposing fear?
👉🏻 Recognize when it has taken over.
Humans are the only creatures that go faster when they're afraid.
Feel like you're in a frantic state?
✅ Take notice.
✅ Take power by pausing.
2⃣ What am I avoiding?
To face fear, you have to name fear. Fear regularly manifests as something else:
- Dull, persistent dread
- Exhaustion
- Procrastination
- Generalized anxiety
But there's always something specific you're avoiding.
✅ Identifying it = overcoming it.
3⃣ What's really at stake for me?
A good rule of thumb: what you think you're afraid of isn't it. There's something larger at stake, an internal declaration of your worth:
- I'm a failure
- I'll be alone and unloved
- I'm not enough
✅ Confront the personal stakes.
4⃣ Who told me to be afraid?
Fear is a learned behavior. Someone told you to be afraid. Fact check them:
- Who are they?
- Do they know me?
- Are they a credible source?
- Do they live a life I want to emulate?
✅ To unlearn fear, you have to face off against your teacher.
5⃣ What action can I take?
Fear is a perceived lack of control.
✅ Victim Mindset = Paralysis = Out of Control
✅ Agency = Action = In Control
A feeling of control is recaptured when you exercise agency.
👉🏻 Intentionally script the action you want to take.
👉🏻 Then, take it.
6⃣ What can I learn?
A learning mindset adds objectivity to the emotional. Framed correctly, the opportunity to learn offers instant upside. Regardless of the outcome, you will learn:
- Your motivations
- Your capabilities
- Your limitations
✅ Harvest the knowledge.
7⃣ How can this help me later?
Learning is easy. Remembering is hard. When you break through fear, document it.
Record:
- Fears you've faced
- Beliefs you've uncovered
- Actions you've taken
- Lessons you've learned
The best playbook is the one you write for yourself 🏆
By David Morris
@ The Six Basic Fears