Turning Fear into Confidence

Fear is one of the most interesting feelings a human can face. It can either be a force that keeps us completely cut off from our goals, or a driving force that pushes us to new heights. In the worst case, it can distort our whole view of reality and make us believe things that aren’t true. But when we harness fear and use it to propel us outside our zone of comfort, we can experience great growth. At Justin Cobb Leadership Academy we have some great ways to transform fear into confidence.

Reframing the Feeling

One powerful technique for dealing with anxiety about situations is to take that feeling and reframe it. What does fear feel like to you? Sweaty palms? Heart racing? A dry mouth? Something else? Sure these are feelings of fear. But they’re also the feelings you get before you do something exciting. The feelings of experiencing moments of profound growth or achievement. So take a moment to step inside your body and really feel those reactions. Understand that they can be seen as positive or negative, or even just neutral. You can choose to say “I am afraid” or you can choose to say “I’m about to do something amazing”.

Give up on Perfect

Taking risks is hard when you expect everything to be perfect. Perfectionists find themselves frustrated by every small failure, and can miss the bigger picture. They can’t see the forest for the trees. Confident people don’t worry about making mistakes. They aren’t attaching their own self-worth to a perfect image. They realize that innovation happens when things fail or break. If you fear failure, you’ll find it hard to be confident. Let go and take a leap of faith and see how it turns out.

Quiet Your Mind

Often when we feel fear, we are listening to our internal voices. Negative beliefs or thoughts in our heads that aren’t based on reality. They’re often based on inventing a future that isn’t real, or in the fear of repeating the past. These voices can distract us from the present and make us see a positive situation through a negative lens. Try to take a moment to observe those negative thoughts, and then let them go. Don’t get frustrated about them or judge them. Just let them pass, and then carry on.

At Justin Cobb Leadership Academy we take entrepreneurs from zero knowledge to expert level. We take the time to nurture our people and make sure they turn that fear into confidence.