The Secret Sauce to Turning Fear Into Your Most Powerful Ally

Hey there, I bet you've felt it. That heart-pounding, palms sweating, "do I stay or run" kind of moment? Yep, that's fear. But here's a secret – fear isn't always the enemy. Today, let's chat about the lesser-known, friendlier side of fear.

Got 90 Seconds?

First things first. Let's talk about the adrenaline rush that accompanies fear. It's nature's way of putting us on high alert. But did you know that this intense feeling you experience, is only meant to last about 90 seconds? Yep, just a minute and a half. After that, if you're still spinning in fear, that's the mind playing games.

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, Harvard Brain Scientist explains: “When a person has a reaction to something in their environment, there’s a 90-second chemical process that happens in the body; after that, any remaining emotional response is just the person choosing to stay in that emotional loop.”

Interesting, isn't it?

Reframing the ‘F’ word:

Think of fear as that overprotective friend who sometimes overdoes it but has the best intentions. It's hardwired into our biology and has been our buddy through evolution. Its main gig? To help us survive. Whether by gearing us up to face a challenge (fight) or telling us it's time to back out (flight), fear's got our back.

ILV Toolkit: From Fear to Action

When things go wrong, our first thought is to find a quick fix or avoid it all together. But our brain can't think straight if we're scared. Start by taking your "90 seconds"! Sure, maybe at first this will be more like 15 minutes. Give yourself grace.

The key to achieving this is simple: YOU MUST DO THE WORK! Just like you can’t get a six-pack by watching others on YouTube do sit-ups and planks, you need to put in the effort to see the results.

So, let's get hands-on. Introducing the "Fear to Action Exercise", one of our Reinvention Academy favourites!

It's basically giving fear a productive job. This exercise can help anyone, whether it's you, your team, stakeholders, or family to:

• Understand and accept the feelings that might be hidden.
• Use these feelings to decide what to do next.
• Plan a way to make things better.

Here's how it works:

1. List It: Scribble down those fears. Big or small, put them all down on paper, whiteboard, and so on. Just make sure it's visible!
2. Bucket It: Sort them into: You Control, You Influence, Out of Your Hands (Like weather predictions. You get it, right?)
3. Act on It: Only focus your next move on the first two buckets. What can you really do about them?

Example:

You’re swamped, handling the workload of two roles, concerned about the security of your job, and feeling undervalued in terms of compensation. These fears, when left unchecked, can be extremely exhausting.

Now, employing the "Fear to Action Exercise" in this context:

1. List It: First, jot down each of these concerns. Each emotion. Then, write down beside each of them "If my fears materialize, it will lead to..."
2. Bucket It: Which of these situations do you believe you have control over? Which can you influence? And which aspects are entirely out of your hands?
3. Act on It: Now, ponder over the actionable steps: For the elements you control: What immediate changes can you effectuate to alleviate some of these concerns? For those you can influence: How can you initiate dialogue or influence a change, even if indirectly? For situations out of your hands: How can you reframe your perspective or response to mitigate the stress?

Your "Fear to Action" Homework:

Try out the Fear to Action Exercise. It’s not some magical wand, but it is a recipe that’s helped many like you and me. It's your roadmap from being paralyzed by fear to propelling into action.

Wrapping Up:

Before we part ways, think about this: What's that one thing, one learning, one "aha!" moment you're taking away from our little chat today? Remember, fear is not all doom and gloom. With the right perspective, and maybe our secret sauce, you might just find it's your most underappreciated ally.

Now, go on. Make fear work for you! And remember, this isn't about forcing change but just presenting another way to look at tricky emotions.

Cheers to a braver you! 🌟