When Fear Tries to Stop You in Your Tracks

Fear can be paralyzing. It stops you in your tracks. Keeps you from making important decisions. Holds you back from following through with your big ideas. Fear is like a bossy big brother or playground bully. You can’t do that. No one likes you. Who do you think you are, changing that price?

Facing your fear takes courage. Sometimes it takes a little humor, too.

There’s an episode of The Middle where Axl Heck explains to his younger sister Sue that he doesn’t let the fear of messing up keep him from trying new things.

Despite all her studying, Sue has failed her driver’s test multiple times and is afraid to get behind the wheel again. In the episode she has to face her fears in order to drive Axl to vote before Election Day is over. Watch here, and skip ahead to minute marker 1:51.

Axl Heck: Look, this is important. My whole life people have been telling me what to do. "Sit up straight." "That cup's not a toilet." "Clean your room." Well, now I finally have a say. Now I get to tell America to clean its room.

Sue Heck: But I'm scared. What if I mess up again?

Axl Heck: Sue! Let me tell you why I'm so awesome. You see, even when I have no idea what I'm doing, I pretend I do. That's why I'm good at everything. This guy, Harry Butts - he should be living in a hole, but he has the guts to put his name on signs all over town and run for office. If he could do that, then you gotta step it up and get me there so I can vote for him. Do it for America!

Sue Heck: I just love America so much. I'll do it!

So how do you face your fears and move forward?

First, you need to identify what you’re afraid of.

Like Sue, who was afraid of failing the driver’s test, you might be relying on past experiences to justify your inaction. Acknowledge the fear. 


Next, you need to identify what is true and what is false.

Most of the time, what we’re afraid of will never actually take place. Fear is a liar. The truth is, more often than not, the inaction on our part as a result of fear actually does more damage. You can’t more forward without taking the first step. You can’t know for sure the way the market will respond to your idea until you try.

A funny way to get past this is to play worst-case/best-case scenario. This can be a fun game to play with your spouse or a friend. Tell them what you’re afraid of and then be outrageous. Exaggerate what the worst possible things that could happen as a result.

For example: If you tried that new product launch, not only would it fail miserably, but people would post pictures of it on their social media mocking that you thought it would be a good invention. They would turn it into a meme that would go viral on Facebook and then you’d be known as the not-to-be-taken-seriously inventor of dumb products. Oh, and you’d go bankrupt too.

Not likely.

Then play best-case scenario. You launch your product with a soft launch campaign, getting buy-in before you launch nationally and later globally. Your previous clients line up to buy it. They can’t believe you just improved upon this product. It’s like nothing else in the market. And what a price! It’s so perfectly priced that your customers come back for more. They tell their friends. Who tell their friends. Who buy so much you have to get a bigger distributor, which brings down your product cost, which increases your profit margins. Now you’re known as the go-to inventor who solves problems in your niche. You get called by the national news to be featured on their special about entrepreneurs who make it big!

While it may not go down exactly like that, your worst-case/best-case game can help you troubleshoot pain points before they happen and can help you see what a ridiculous liar fear can be!

Moving forward takes a little chutzpah. And don’t forget, if Harry Butts has the courage to put his name on a sign, then you gotta step it up!

Do it for America!