Read time: 5 minutes
Do something that scares you every day
This is one of the most impactful yet underutilized pieces of self-help advice out there.
So let’s unpack what this really means and why this is useful.
Doing something scary doesn’t have to mean jumping out of a plane or racing down the road at breakneck speeds.
Having an uncomfortable conversation or putting yourself out there on social media can feel scary AF.
So let’s drop the idea that you need to do something extreme or even dangerous in order for it to count as scary.
Start by making a list of everything you’ve been putting off or makes you uncomfortable.
Why?
Avoidance and procrastination aren’t the result of you being bad or lazy.
These things stem from a subconscious belief that whatever we are avoiding is scary.
And that by not doing it, we can protect ourselves from whatever bad outcome we associate with the task (whether real or imagined)
This list will be your scary actions for the coming weeks!
No thing is too small.
For example, if you continually tell your friend her makeup looks good even if it really doesn’t – it’s time to speak up. Even a simple “it’s not really my style but if you love it I love it” will suffice.
An individual develops courage by doing courageous acts. – Aristotle
Why is this important?
Because our brains are programmed for our survival, not excellence.
Your subconscious mind is always trying to protect itself – remember what we just learned about procrastination and avoidance?
And life requires us to do things that are unknown. To take risks. To exist outside our comfort zone.
The more actions we take that are uncomfortable or scary the more trust we are building with ourselves.
We are showing our minds day after day that it is safe to do scary things.
We are building trust with ourselves by committing to and following through with our list of scary actions.
This piece of self-trust is especially crucial if you have a pattern of broken commitments with yourself.
When you know you can rely on yourself is when you truly become UNBREAKABLE.
