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7 Effective Ways To Boost Your Courage
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Fear isn’t always helpful
If we respond to every fear-inducing situation like we’re in mortal danger, we’re going to end up missing out on valuable opportunities to live fully, enjoy growth and new experiences. Ask yourself: “Am I avoiding pain, or seeking growth?”
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Expand your comfort zone
Boosting your courage isn’t something that happens overnight.
It’s a day-by-day process and you’re more likely to experience success in this area if you focus on expanding your comfort zone one step at a time.
For example, if you notice that you feel fear around talking to new people, start small by asking someone for directions or striking up a short conversation with people you encounter in your day-to-day life.
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Remember to breathe
When we’re feeling fearful, our breathing unconsciously becomes faster and shallower. Taking a few deep breaths sends the signal to our minds that everything is OK and helps us relax.
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Take a step back
Usually, the fear we feel isn’t so much about the worst case scenario we’re thinking of—it’s about how we would feel if that scenario comes to pass.
To boost your courage, try to stay objective and focus on the facts of the matter. Pay attention to what actually happened, rather than the meaning you’re attaching to it.
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Change perspective
We tend to be harsher with ourselves than we are with other people.
The next time you’re faced with an opportunity to expand your comfort zone, ask yourself how you would perceive your best friend in the same situation. Would you focus on the potential pitfalls, or would you admire them for taking the risk?
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The person you want to become
We often focus on what we need to do. The real shift that needs to take place, however, revolves around who we need to become.
What qualities would a courageous future version of yourself have? How would they start each day? What new habits would they develop? What old habits would they change?
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Take action
The longer you wait before taking action, the less courageous you’ll feel.
The only thing that will help you feel more courageous is taking action, stepping outside your comfort zone, and sending yourself the message that you are a courageous person.
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Your lack of courage may cost you
Our brains are wired to:
- Discount the cost of inaction,
- Overestimate the probability of things going wrong and
- Underestimate ourselves.
Three big obstacles
... help people get unstuck when building their bravery:
- Appreciating why stepping outside their comfort zone is so important to begin with (i.e. No clear or compelling why).
- Setting the intention to consciously and consistently practice acts of courage.
- Knowing which acts of courage to start with – after all, being brave isn’t always predictable or straight forward.
Bravery habits
- Speaking Up: Every act of courage is about laying something you value on the line for something you value even more. Speaking bravely takes no less.
- Making Big Requests: If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no.
- Confronting Long Held Fears: Most people suffer more from their imagination than they ever do reality.
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Be Proactive
Reactive people believe the world is happening to them. They focus on things that are in their circle of concern, but not in their circle of influence.
Proactive people recognize th...
Begin with the End in Mind
Start with a clear destination to determine your steps. Identify your values and live by them.
- Visualize in detail your own funeral. What are they saying about how you lived your life, and your relationships? What do you want them to say? Change your priorities accordingly.
- Break down different roles in your life - whether professional, personal or in a community. List 3-5 goals you want to achieve for each.
- Define what scares you and write down exactly how you'll handle it.
Go after your goals
Prioritize your day-to-day actions based on what is most important, not what is most urgent.
Be disciplined to follow these actions regardless of how you feel at any given moment. Maintain a primary focus on relationships and results, and a secondary focus on time.
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Decide if you should face your fear
- Consider the pros and cons of not facing your fear.
- Write those down.
- Identify the pros and cons of tackling your fears head-on.
- Write down what ...
Evaluate Risk Level
Just because something feels scary, doesn’t mean it’s actually risky. Educate yourself about the facts and the risks you actually face by doing the things that scare you.
Create an Action Plan
The key to facing your fears is to take one small step at a time. Going too fast or doing something too scary before you are ready can backfire.
Keep moving forward. A moderate amount of anxiety is good. Don’t wait to take a step forward until your anxiety disappears.
If you can’t actually do the thing that scares you to practice, you might use imagined exposure.