From Fear to Courage-to-Act: 3 questions to give you courage (and strategy) to make big bets in life.

Fear is a mile wide and an inch deep

~ Alex Hormozi

It's that big puddle of water that you are afraid to step in after the rain. When you do. You keep on walking.

Fear looks huge from a distance.
But when you walk closer, it’s often nothing more than a shadow — a ghost that disappears the moment you shine a light on it.

That light is action.

Whether you’re afraid to start something new — a job, a relationship, an exercise program — or paralyzed by what might happen if you take the next step, what you might lose...
Fear feeds on the unknown.
It starves in the light of clarity.

And there’s one simple tool that helps me bring that light in every time fear gets loud:

The Fear-Setting Exercise

(from Tim Ferriss’ 2017 TED Talk and blog — still one of the best I’ve found)

Ferriss used it to make high-stakes decisions under uncertainty, launching his dreams.
I’ve used it to move forward whenever fear tries to keep me small.

Here’s how it works:


1. DEFINE

What exactly are you afraid of?
Write down every single thing that could go wrong in your imagination. Don’t leave anything in the dark.
(You’ll often notice how absurd some fears sound once written out.)

2. PREVENT

What can you do right now to reduce the chances of those things happening?
Make the list practical. Concrete. Small steps you can take today to leave fear no chance of winning.

3. REPAIR

If the worst ... very worst... happens, how could you still recover?
List all the ways you could get back on track - don't forget people who can support you.
You’ll realize you’re far more resilient than fear gives you credit for - you have a safety net you've forgotten about.


By this time in the exercise, you will already start feeling pretty damn fearless. Free perhaps even. Courageous?

Follow that up with some additional reflection:

  • What are all the things you gain (not just financial) from taking the next step towards what feels right?

  • All the hidden costs of doing nothing and staying where you are. Regret for life, anyone?

  • Choose your next safe step to test the waters. (And see how shallow that puddle actually is.)


Pretty good damn exercise.

It puts your fear right where it belongs - into the world of imagination.

Give it a try. Share with someone who needs it🙌