5 Bulletproof Ways to Crush Fear and Live the Life You Want

This is a guest post from Jim Woods, an author, editor, and coach who loves to help others create great stories. You can connect with him on Twitter (@jimwoodswrites) or visit him on his blog.

You know you are meant to do more with your life. You might want another job or to move to another part of the world. Maybe you want to get out of debt or even write a book.

Even as you read the words above, you started to get a little scared, right?

Don’t worry—this is completely normal. Fear is something we all face.

So what can you do about it?
Here are five ways to take care of fear:

1. Learn to Recognize Fear.

Sometimes it is obvious that the problem is fear, but fear loves to pop up in many different ways:

• Fear of failure: where you are convinced failure is going to happen and you will end up broke and homeless.
• Fear of success: you might be afraid of being overwhelmed and then having new responsibilities.
• Fear of missing out: this can disguise itself as avoiding decisions or even procrastination.

While there may be a hint of logic or truth at the core of fear, it is often blown out of proportion in your mind, because fear loves extremes.

When someone says something less than positive about something you created, fear says “everyone hates me.”

Even if you receive positive feedback, it's a lie because they “were just being nice.”

Fear loves to rationalize with you.

“Know this: if you find yourself making excuses, it is often because of fear.”

Fear is very subtle and says things like, “You just need to read one more book before you're ready,” or “You need to buy this plugin” or “that application.”

In some cases this is true, but more often than not it is really procrastination or perfectionism—both of which have the power to stop you from finishing your work.

2. Fear Crumbles When You Have Structure.

When you have a plan, fear starts to retreat.

If you're not good at planning, keep it simple so you have a plan that is manageable for you.

Having some form of system in place is often the difference between finishing or quitting when adversity comes your way. And don’t forget how important your daily routine is in making fear loosen its grip.

3. Fear Runs Away From Support.

Fear wants you to be as isolated as possible and to be alone in a miserable, fear-filled place.

Join a mastermind or even start one of your own. Ask for help from a great coach like John who can help you improve your hold on fear.

4. Use Stubbornness to Your Advantage.

This is when you grit your teeth and accomplish a task even when you really don't want to.

An episode (or five) on Netflix may scream your name, but you refuse to budge until the work is finished—done.

5. Fear Hates Hard Work.

This is the work that drains you and tires you out. The work you might want to outsource (or automate). There's a reason it's called hard work, right?

It's not supposed to be easy. This is what separates professionals from amateurs.

Lastly, know this fight with fear does not stop. Surround yourself with good, positive people in real life who support you and encourage you—every single day.

You can do this. Be stubborn. Be brave.

“No one will give you the life you want—you have to fight for it.”

Everyday you make a decision to face your fear or to give into it. Show up when fear tells you to go back to sleep.

As you keep doing the work, you will start to build the life that you want.

Question: What strategies do you use to fight fear?