Taking Action

“The most drastic, and usually the most effective, remedy for fear is direct action.”

                                                   - William Burnham

Fear is an interesting phenomenon. It can have many effects on us, psychologically and physically. And one of the most common effects, as Burnham’s words imply, is paralysis. Whether the fear is about a choice, the magnitude of a task, or the difficulty of that task, it often brings with it paralysis. Standing still. And in many ways, it’s that standing still that is the worst part. As a competitive runner, the worst part for me was always before the race. Let’s be clear—the race itself was a tremendous challenge- extreme physical exertion (i.e. PAIN) and the psychological difficulty of mind over matter in the moment—getting my body to do things it didn’t want to do or didn’t believe it could do. But it wasn’t as bad as the time before the race. That was the “standing still” time. The minutes, and then the seconds before the gun went off. The equivalent of the paralysis. And the fear was tremendous. But once the gun went off, and the real work began, the fear dropped away. There was something about the movement, about taking action, that was a huge relief. And when the fear is gone, and the action begins, the possibilities begin to appear. And…the possibilities begin to be possible. Because inaction leads to nothing. Action leads to outcomes. And perhaps very good outcomes.

Look at your week ahead. Identify any area you know you're experiencing paralysis, procrastination, standing still, whatever. Any area there may be fear. Try this:

• Identify one small action you can take that’s directly related to whatever you’re afraid of. I find that if there’s a project to do, starting on one little piece of it, a piece that’s not overwhelming, throws me into active mode, which encourages the fear to go away, and leads to more action
  
• If that’s too much, if what you’re afraid of is too big and even starting on a small piece feels too daunting, do this: take action on something else. Something do-able. Anything. Anything active will help you right now. Even if it’s simply taking out the trash. The very act of doing, and of accomplishing, will put your brain into a different state—a more grounded and confident state. Meaning that when you’re done with that action, you’ll be breathing more deeply, standing up a little straighter, and more more able to start tackling the biggie