It has been my lifelong mission to get one of our dearest friends on an airplane.  She is in her 40s and has never flown before, which has been a topic of conversation for the entirety of our friendship.  

This past week we flew to Mexico and she loved it.  Not just the destination, but also the plane ride.  That is the motivation for my quote from Author Judy Blume who said,

“Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them.  How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives.  To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.”

We all have fears.  Physical fear, anxiety, fear of uncertainty, fear of failure.  Here are six tips I have relied on to help conquer my own fears.

Identify Your Fear - If you want to overcome fear you must identify the challenge to overcome it.  What exactly are you afraid of and why?

Acknowledge It - Once you identify the fear, I find it helps to acknowledge it.  I have always been a pretty confident speaker, but I have had many times earlier in my life where I was nervous about speaking in public.  What I found helped me the most was simply acknowledging my feelings with the audience.  It helped break the ice and allowed me to move on without feeling nervous or insecure.

Understand Your Fear - What is the root cause of your fear?  I believe a lot of fear is based on fear of the unknown.  A few examples are not knowing what to expect when flying for the first time, being afraid of the dark, or maybe even starting a business.  Nothing in life is to be feared, but rather, only to be understood.  

Surround yourself with Success - Having a good support group is important in life and business.  Whether you are flying on a plane for the first time or are starting a new business, it is always a good idea to surround yourself with others who have a similar mindset.  People that can push you forward.  In order to overcome fear, you need to raise your standards and allow others to hold you accountable.

Have a Plan - This helps me tremendously.  Besides fear of the unknown, I believe there is also fear in not being in control.  I find that my anxiety melts away when I feel prepared.  Said differently, preparation alleviates fear.  

Take Action - Action conquers fear.  We are our most fearful when we sit idle, but action results in confidence.  Often when we face our fears we find that the thing we were afraid of wasn’t so scary in the first place.  

Hopefully these tips help you go out this week and experience adventure instead of being limited by the fear of it.

Welcome to the Limitless Podcast with Nathan Jovanelly.  Thanks for tuning in.